Varadkar defends changes in Dublin Bus

DUBLIN BUS schedules reflected new traffic levels, Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar told the Dáil. He supported the company’s efforts to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness under the network direct programme and significant efficiencies and savings had already been achieved.

“Given the losses recorded by Dublin Bus in 2010 and further reductions in the PSO subvention due over the coming years, it is important that the Deloitte report and the network direct programme are fully delivered upon to ensure the viability of the service.”

Mr Varadkar said the Deloitte cost and efficiency review of Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann was published in January 2009. While it found Bus Éireann to be largely efficient, it identified scope for great efficiencies in Dublin Bus.

Following the report, Dublin Bus undertook an extensive network review and announced its plans for the reorganisation of routes and timetables.

“The objective of the redesign is to provide current and future bus customers with a service that will be modern, accessible, integrated, easy to understand, punctual and frequent,” he added. It was delivering real and tangible benefits to the vast majority of bus users.

“For example, when completed later this year, there will be a doubling in routes with frequency of 10 minutes or better,” he added.

“A total of 60 per cent of customers will be carried on high-frequency routes, whereas this stood at 23 per cent previously.”

The Minister was replying to Dublin Mid West TD Derek Keating (FG) who said the reorganisation of routes was not working. He had attended many consultation meetings, he said, and his abiding memory was how the issues raised by people were not addressed in the consultation process.