DART parking charge plan will not go ahead

Iarnrod Éireann has backed down on its plans to introduce parking charges at selected DART stations in Dublin. The announcement, which was made from the office of the Minister of Transport yesterday, came less than 24 hours after the company insisted the charges would go ahead, even allowing for Mr Brennan opposition.

Mr Brennan said that the policy of public transport was to encourage more people to get out of cars and on to trains and buses and it was in this context of that he had talks with the Iarnród Éireann parent company CIÉ.

The need for commuters to have a choice of public transport options was a theme to which Mr Brennan returned later yesterday as he presented ISO 9000 awards for quality of service to Dublin Bus.

Dr Alan Westwell, managing director of the bus company, said the awards showed it was now the best choice of transport for combating congestion in the capital and was now seen as a real alternative to the private car. Mr Brennan repeated his assertion that the future of public transport was in choice and co-operation.

The ISO 9000 awards are the among the State's highest for standards and they were presented to the bus company's departments of public affairs and quality improvements. They are responsible for providing customer information, handling customer queries, timetable and map information, assessing customer feedback and research.

According to the bus company, the award recognised the company's commitment to the customer and the provision of quality services. Dr Westwell said the fleet of 1,062 buses involved the business "in a high level of customer interaction carrying 500,000 passengers on a working day".

All staff at Dublin Bus were now involved in "extensive customer-orientated training and quality performances".

Mr Brennan said it was obvious that improvements in the bus services had occurred and customer expectations had become greater. "Dublin Bus is responding with a number of imaginative initiatives," he said. "This IS0 9000 award is further proof of the determination of Dublin Bus to achieve the highest standards in customer care."