Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 December 2013
16. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the actions his Department is taking in conjunction with Iarnród Éireann, Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann to improve punctuality in the services of each of the companies and the quality of service provided by each company. [54130/13]
View answerThe National Transport Authority (NTA) entered into separate contracts with the three CIÉ companies for the provision of Public Service Obligation (PSO) services. Among other things, the contracts set standards of operational performance and customer service and contain penalties for non-performance. The NTA monitors the contracted performance of each PSO operator on a quarterly basis and the reports are available on the NTA's website. If the Deputy has some specific instances of poor punctuality, I am happy to raise it with the NTA and the companies involved separately.
The Government continues to provide substantial Exchequer investment in the public transport network despite the significant financial challenges. Over the three years 2011-2013, the total Exchequer allocation to the three CIE companies, in respect of PSO services, free travel, school transport and capital expenditure, has been more than €1.5 billion. The priority must be to get a better return from the public transport system, through targeted investment, better use of existing resources and by using technology to make public transport more responsive and user friendly.
My Department has also provided funds in both Dublin and the regional cities to promote sustainable travel including further developing bus lanes, improving rail and bus stations, bus stops and shelters and also to improve the accessibility of public transport. Through the NTA, my Department is also funding the use of smart technology to make public transport easier to access and more reliable for the user. Significant progress has been made with the Leap card, Real Time Passenger Information, and the National Journey Planner which maps all public transport services across the country. The use of Wi-fi on trains and buses has also improved the transport experience. The NTA will continue to progress these consumer friendly initiatives which make using public transport more attractive. The public-transport experience has improved significantly and that is where we must target our efforts in future.
