Private bus company owners protested outside Dail Eireann yesterday, claiming the Government has reneged on a commitment to part-fund an EU transport initiative. They said the Government's failure to support the scheme has embarrassed Ireland before the European Commission.
Six EU countries are involved in the scheme, known as SAMPO (Systems for Advanced Management of Public Transport Operations), which aims to develop new technologies for bus companies and improve co-ordination of services.
The bus companies' representative body, PAMBO, which organised yesterday's protest, said it was promised funding of £600,000 for the scheme by the former Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications, Mr Michael Lowry. However a spokesman for the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications said yesterday that Mr Lowry had given "absolutely no commitment"