Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 9 May 1995

Vol. 452 No. 5

Adjournment Debate. - Attacks on Public Transport Workers.

Mr. S. Kenny

I thank the Chair for allowing me to raise this matter and the Minister of State for coming in to reply.

There are 55 Dublin Bus drivers out of work suffering from injuries and trauma caused by violent assaults suffered while providing a public transport service in this city. Every bus driver who takes his or her bus on to the city streets anticipates an attack, whether it be daytime or night-time, because of the increasing frequency of assaults in recent months. There are no safe areas so far as this form of crime is concerned. Syringes, screwdrivers, Stanley knives and lump hammers are some of the weapons used by the attackers whose motive is robbery of the fares collected from passengers travelling on Dublin city bus services. Staff at DART station ticket offices are at risk of similar attacks.

These violent attacks can cause serious and often permanent injuries as well as inflict trauma and stress on the bus drivers who have been victims of criminals who carry out these attacks. Dublin Bus has now contracted the services of a psychologist to counsel staff who have been assault victims to deal with post-traumatic stress. There have also been requests from bus drivers for routine inocculation against hepatitis B given that many of the robberies are drug related.

Very often these attacks result in restricted bus services which cause great inconvenience to customers of Dublin Bus. It is estimated that these attacks will cost the company in the region of £1.5 million per annum in its wage bill alone, not taking into account the revenue loss because of the robberies, disruption of services and the damage caused to vehicles and property.

Let me give one example to highlight the recent alarming increase in this type of crime. All the regular bus drivers on the 101 route which operates from Clontarf garage are out of work because of assaults. This route, which also provides a feeder bus service to the DART station at Harmonstown, provides a bus service to Priorswood, Coolock and Beaumont Hospital. It is believed that the same individual is the perpetrator of all these attacks.

This form of crime is increasing despite the provision by Dublin Bus of protective screens for drivers, deposit safes and the introduction of video cameras and radio control systems on buses. There is a need to promote the sale of prepaid bus tickets through discounted fares as an incentive to reduce the amount of cash carried on buses. Dublin Bus should offer a reward to members of the public who come forward with information leading to the prosecution of persons who perpetrate attacks against bus crews or vehicles.

There is a clear need for special legislation to deal with anti-social behaviour on all forms of public transport, including trains and the DART. In the recent past new legislation has been promised but it is still awaited. The Garda Síochána should have the power to arrest without warrant those who attack public transport vehicles, the people on board or ticket offices. There is a need for a transport police unit to concentrate on this spiralling form of crime before it gets out of control. A quick response police unit is necessary to ensure that a public transport system can be provided which is fully geared towards serving the needs of the public.

Minister of State at the Department of Justice (Mr. Currie)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The issue of attacks on public transport workers is one which is of particular concern to me and the Minister for Justice, Deputy Owen. Less than three months ago, the Minister met senior management of Dublin Bus to discuss their concerns about attacks on bus drivers in the city. In this regard, the Minister was in a position to inform the Dublin Bus representatives that a particular individual who had perpetrated a number of these attacks had been dealt with by the courts and committed to prison. While I appreciate the problem of attacks on bus crews cannot be attributed to one individual, the individual in question was a cause of particular concern to the bus crews working in the west side of the city. As a Deputy for the constituency I had received innumerable complaints about him. The Deputy also referred to an individual.

I am determined that everything possible must be done to deal with these attacks. The fact that the number of robberies committed on buses declined from 80 in 1993 to 46 in 1994 is to be welcomed. That this drop in the number of robberies has occurred against the background of a general decrease in the total number of offences committed on buses is also to be welcomed. In this regard, I am informed by the Garda authorities that 262 offences were committed on buses in Dublin in 1993. By 1994, this number had declined to 141.

However, this decrease in the number of criminal offences committed on buses gives no room for complacency. One attack on a bus crew is one attack too many. People have a basic right to go about their business without being robbed or assaulted. This is especially the case for those who are providing a public service. There is a special onus on society to ensure that those who provide a public service can do so without fear of attack or intimidation.

In order to reduce the incidence of such attacks, there are ongoing discussions between Dublin Bus and the Garda Síochána. Areas in the city which have shown the greatest incidence of this type of attack have been especially targeted by the Garda. The measures taken by the Garda, to date, include: intensified patrolling of known trouble spots, with particular attention to late night services, by uniformed gardaí; the designation of a garda inspector in all of the Garda districts within the Dublin metropolitan area with special responsibility for maintaining contact with bus drivers operating in their area and for monitoring and dealing with incidents that occur, and the introduction of a programme of talks by community gardaí to school children. The gardaí, in the course of these talks, highlight the importance of the public transport system to the local community and the consequences of anti-social behaviour.

In addition to the measures taken by the Garda, I am aware that a series of measures have been taken by Dublin Bus. These measures include the provision of anti-assault screens on all new buses, the use of video equipment on buses for the purpose of surveillance and detection of criminal activity and the provision of radios to enable direct contact between bus drivers and their depots.

I understand that the unions representing the bus workers have suggested to Dublin Bus a number of additional measures designed to reduce the incidence of these attacks and I look forward to hearing about future developments in this area.

It is unacceptable that any group of workers should be exposed to such attacks. The Minister and the Garda authorities are determined to continue to do everything within their power to deal effectively with these attacks.