NBRU Announce Plans For Public Information Campaign And Accuse Government Of In-Aciton Over Thread To Bus Éireann Expressway Services

national | worker & community struggles and protests | press release

Friday December 02, 2016 01:04

by nbru - National Bus and Railworkers Union

nbru at eircom dot net

NBRU Press Release - 30th November 2016

The NBRU releases a press release to announce a public information campaign to highlight how government policies will serve to undermine rural bus services.

At threat here is the disappearance of Bus Éireann from Ireland with only city to city services remaining leaving large swathes of the country without a service which would be unprofitable to the private operators.

30th November 2016
NBRU PRESS RELEASE

NBRU ANNOUNCE PLANS FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN AND ACCUSE GOVERNMENT OF IN-ACTION OVER THREAT TO BUS ÉIREANN EXPRESSWAY SERVICES

General Secretary Dermot O’Leary said:

“There is a real danger that Rural Bus Services will disappear over the coming
months leaving large swathes of Rural Ireland without vital Bus Services if Bus
Éireann moves ahead with plans to alter the terms and conditions of its Expressway
Staff. The Department of Transport Policy, implemented with gusto by the NTA (HSE on
Wheels), of issuing and amending commercial bus licences has led to market
saturation, resulting in losses in the region of €6 million being incurred by Bus
Éireann, what is bizarre here is the fact that the Independent Alliance, with its
majority of Rural Based TD’s has the responsible Minister among its ranks”

Mr O’Leary went on to say:

“it is simply not good enough that faceless bureaucrats can arbitrarily decide to
ignore licencing guidelines effectively forcing a State-Owned company off multiple
routes across Ireland. We have seen Rural Ireland systematically attacked by the
closure of Post Offices, Bank Branches and Garda Stations; Public Transport users
and those who work in the Industry are entitled to ask if the political classes of
the State are going to remain silent on this issue and simply allow for vital
economic and social Bus Service to disappear, the NBRU intends to engage in a Public
Information Campaign over the next number of weeks in order to alert communities to
the stark reality that its Bus Service may just simply vanish leaving rural Ireland
abandoned and alone”

Dermot O'Leary
General Secretary

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See the attached PDF file to see if your bus service is under threat.