Before this Bill is passed I desire to say that my mind was a little troubled about a matter that I consider to be of the greatest importance. When coming in I mentioned it to my old friend, Mr. Moylan, and he made the position perfectly clear to me. At the same time the more the attention of the public is drawn to it the better. I am referring to safety or emergency exits on buses. I notice that in a great proportion of the small and the large buses there are emergency exits, but large numbers of the older type of buses have no emergency exits. A very serious accident occurred in the city two or three years ago, in the Coombe district, and if there had been an emergency exit on the bus that was concerned the results would not have been so serious. I travel a great deal by bus. I notice when coming into the city in the mornings that the buses are sometimes very much overcrowded. In the old type of buses the door is next to the engine, while in the newer type the door is at the end of the bus. They are small folding doors and I noticed on Sunday last when going to Mass at Baldoyle that it took at least three minutes before the door could be opened. What troubles me is the fear that if one of these buses, by any unfortunate mischance sideslipped and turned into the ditch the door would be closed and there would be no means of getting out. Anyone who travels by buses knows that if they are over-crowded—and they are overcrowded practically every Sunday with people returning from the seaside—and if a fire occurred, or if a cigarette happened to get into clothing it would be dreadful to think what a holocaust would ensue. I am drawing attention to the matter in order to strengthen the hands of the Minister and his officials in enforcing his powers, because I am afraid if precautions are not taken some dreadful accident may happen.
Public Business. - Road Traffic Bill, 1933—Fifth Stage.
Question proposed: "That the Bill do now pass."
Question put and agreed to.