A meeting between management at Dublin Bus and the two unions representing drivers aimed at restoring normal services to Mountjoy Square was described as “productive” on Tuesday, but restrictions to the numbers 7 and 13 routes will remain in place for the moment.
Stops for the two routes were suspended in the wake of an incident on Friday, April 18th, when a man produced a suspected firearm and told a driver he would “blow his head off”.
Siptu subsequently directed members to stop departures from the area and to cease terminating their bus routes there after 7pm “until union representatives meet management and agree appropriate actions to improve their safety”.
Officials from Siptu and the other union representing drivers at the company, the National Bus and Rail Union, met with management on Tuesday and agreed to establish new protocols in relation to incidents involving the safety of staff.
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Though further meetings are planned, it is understood it was agreed that committees would be established to monitor the issue and address staff concerns.
The intention is there will be interaction with community groups and local businesses, and Dublin Bus chief executive Billy Hann is to play an active part in overseeing the situation.
The company is said to have regarded the meeting as “constructive”.
John Murphy of Siptu said the possibility of moving stops closer to the bus garage, just off the square, and providing better lighting had been raised as ways of improving driver safety in the area.
He said many drivers were still concerned about returning to the area. “There had been problems there before and services were suspended, and they are saying, ’We’re not long back and now we have more issues,’” he said.
“Hopefully we can get the services operating normally again there soon and get better procedures in place to address problems like this when they arise in the future.”
