ABOUT 450,000 Dublin Bus customers face the threat of disruption next week after the company announced details of a controversial cost-cutting programme.
Dublin Bus has said that 17 services are to be withdrawn from this weekend. It is also to change the routes of some services and reduce the frequency of others.
The moves follow votes by drivers at the company to reject, by very narrow margins, recommendations put forward by the Labour Court in relation to cost-saving measures.
Unions have warned of industrial action in the event of management seeking to introduce the reform plans without agreement.
Yesterday the general secretary of the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU), Michael Faherty wrote to the company seeking a deferral of the cost-cutting plan.
The “low frequency” services to be withdrawn are the 15x, 27c, 31c, 49x, 50x, 51a, 58c, 65x, 79x, 86, 115, 117, 129, 172, 201/2, 206.
There will also be changes to the routes of the 40/a/b/c/d, 45, 56/a, 103/104 and 151 services.
Some services on the 56/a route from Tallaght will only operate to Dolphin’s Barn while the route 45 will only operate between Bray and Ballsbridge.
The frequency of services will be reduced marginally on routes 1, 2, 3, 7b/d, 11a/b, 13a, 14a, 17, 18, 19a, 27x, 37x, 38a, 39/a/c/x, 41a, 42a/b, 44b/c, 48a, 50, 51b/c/d/x, 77a/x, 78a, 84x, 90/92, 111, 114, 116, 118, 121, 122, 128, 150, 161, 210.
Mr Faherty said he had raised concerns under the Organisation of Working Time Act about the implementation of the cuts and said that the NBRU needed more time “to consider the potential adverse impact of the changes on the living standards of drivers”.
The union also said that it was seeking further discussions with Dublin Bus on the phasing in of the changes.
However, a spokeswoman for Dublin Bus said that the company would be proceeding with the implementation of its cost-containment plan over the weekend. She said that management was available for talks only on the implementation of the plan.
The spokeswoman said that Dublin Bus was losing €500,000 per week and could not afford to delay the introduction of the cost-containment plan any longer.
The national executive of the NBRU is to meet tomorrow to consider the Dublin Bus dispute.
Dublin Bus said that its cost-effectiveness plan had been designed to have as little impact as possible on the majority of customers. It claimed the low frequency services to be withdrawn had “a very limited timetable” and in many cases operated fewer than five trips each day.
“Also these routes would have extremely low passenger numbers with some having less than 10 passengers per trip. Alternative services exist in each area for all of these routes and there is adequate capacity on those services to cater for these customers,” it said.
