Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 1 Feb 2001

Vol. 529 No. 3

Written Answers. - Public Transport.

Paul Connaughton

Question:

91 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the reason a licence has not been granted to a company (details supplied) on the Tuam-Dublin route; if her attention has been drawn to the impending withdrawal of this service; and her views on whether Bus Éireann has a monopoly on many routes. [2826/01]

Minister of State at the Department of Public Enterprise (Mr. Jacob)

The operator in question already holds a licence to operate return services between Tuam and Dublin on Fridays, Sundays and bank holiday Mondays. He has made an application for a licence to operate bus services on a daily basis between Tuam and Dublin and Dublin Airport. The application was received on 8 September 2000 and in keeping with the Department's policy of dealing with applications on a first-come, first-served basis, the application was placed in a queue to be dealt with in turn. However, due to the volume of applications received by the bus route licensing section of my Department, this application has not yet been reached in the queue.

I expect my Department to be in a position to make a decision on this application by mid-February. This decision will be made in strict accordance with the provisions of the Road Transport Act, 1932, and will have regard to my Department's current licensing guidelines.

I understand that the operator recently announced that he intends to withdraw his existing service on the Tuam-Dublin route with effect from 5 March next, citing cost reasons. This is a matter for the commercial judgment of the operator. My Department has not been officially notified of the proposed withdrawal of service. However, where a licensed service is withdrawn, the licensee is obliged to return the licence and it would be then open to another operator to apply for a licence to operate this route.

Bus Éireann is subject to competition from private operators on a number of the routes that it operates. Under the Road Transport Act, 1932, my Department is obliged to have regard to existing passenger transport services when an application for a route licence is received. Each application is considered on a case by case basis and as a general rule, the Department's policy is to grant one licence per route or service. However more than one licence may be granted on the same route where the market demand justifies it.