Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 13 Dec 2001

Vol. 546 No. 5

Written Answers. - Public Transport.

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

87 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the route at which she has directly licensed to private bus operators in the greater Dublin area; the location and length of the route; the number of stops for passenger take-up permitted; the duration of the licence; the portion of the route which has overlapped with routes provided by a CIE group route; the fare agreement with the operator; and the number of buses and the frequency of service on the route. [32264/01]

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

The following table gives summary details in relation to the general annual licences that are currently valid in the greater Dublin area. My Department will send copies of these licences to the Deputy.

Operator'sName	LicenceNumber	Date Issued	Route	Frequency
Aerdart	01089	23 November 2001	Malahide Train Station to Dublin Airport	5 services each way
Aerdart	01088	23 November 2001	Skerries Train Station to Dublin Airport via Rush and Lusk Train Station	1 daily service only 1 way
Aerdart	01079	23 November 2001	Balbriggan Train Station to Dublin Airport	1 daily service only 1 way
Barton Enterprises Limited	01077	8 November 2001	Maynooth via Intel, Hewlett Packard to Celbridge	Daily Service
Eirebus	01074	23 November 2001	Tara Street Station and Point Theatre, North Wall Quay via Eden Quay	Monday to Friday 11 Services
Anthony McConn t/aDualway Coaches	01004	12 January 2001	The Square Tallaght to Dublin Airport via Ballyfermot and Ballymun	30 minute daily service30 minute daily service
Aerdart Limited	01049	20 August 2001	Swords to Leixlip via Dublin Airport	Hourly services between06.00 and 22.00
Operator'sName	LicenceNumber	Date Issued	Route	Frequency
Eirebus	01016	28 February 2001	Tallaght and Dublin Airport via Castleknock	Regular Daily Service
Last Passive t/a Aircoach	00082*	16 August 2000	Dublin Airport to Greystones via Eastlink	04.30 to 24.00
Last Passive t/a Aircoach	00083*	17 August 2000	Dublin Airport to Tallaght via Ballymun	06.00 to 20.00 every 15 minutes
Last Passive t/a Aircoach	00084*	17 August 2000	Dublin Airport to Rathgar via Dolphin's Barn	06.00 to 20.00 every 15 minutes
Last Passive t/a Aircoach	00085*		Dublin Airport to Leopardstown via Rathfarnham	06.00 to 20.00 every 15 minutes
Gregory Reddin	00128	4 December 2000	Balbriggan and Skerries via Rush	Friday to Monday morningNightclub service
JJ Kavanagh	00127	21 November 2000	Kill-Naas	Monday to SaturdayHourly between 07.28 and 17.28
McAuley t/a McCab and Minibus Service	00116	4 October 2000	Market Square Wicklow and Greystones Dart Station	Monday to Saturday06.00, 07.00, 15.45 and 17.50
JJ Kavanagh	00101	15 September 2000	Naas and Liffey Valley	Monday to Saturday07.51 to 08.51 and 06.51 to 07.51
JJ Kavanagh	00097	12 September 2000	Blessington and Naas	Monday to SaturdayHourly from 07.20 to 19.20
Eirebus Limited	00094	24 August 2000	Trim and Dublin	Monday to Friday07.40 and 18.30 and return 17.40
Eirebus Limited	00092	23 August 2000	Navan and Dublin Airport	Monday to SaturdayEvery hour 06.00 to 22.00SundayEvery 2 hours 07.00 to 21.30
Anthony McConnt/a Dualway Coaches	00069	9 August 2000	Newcastle and Tallaght via Saggart	Monday to SaturdayApprox hourly
Crossan Truck and Bus Limited	00035	31 May 2000	Howth Junction Dart Station and Dublin Airport	6.30 to 22.30 at 30 minute intervals
Last Passive Limited	99099	2/9/1999	Dublin Airport to Ballsbridge	Monday to FridayEvery 15 mins from 05.00 to 24.00

* Not yet operational

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

88 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if she has had discussions with the CIE Group regarding their activity in subcontracting out the operation of some of their existing routes in the greater Dublin area; the number of routes which have been subcontracted out; the location and the length of the routes; the number of buses and the frequency of service on the route; and her views on whether these arrangements have been developed in a satisfactory way from the point of view of efficient public transport in Dublin. [32265/01]

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

89 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if she has given her approval to the terms on which the CIE Group has subcontracted out work on some of their routes; if she has satisfied herself that the duration of the contract and the basis of cost recovery is satisfactory from the point of view of development of stable long-term efficient public transport. [32266/01]

Minister for Public Enterprise (Mrs. O'Rourke)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 88 and 89 together.

In July 1999, new licensing guidelines were announced involving a more open approach towards applications for route licences by private operators in the greater Dublin area, specifically in relation to applications for orbital, radial and feeder routes. Since then, 22 annual passenger licences have been issued to private sector operators in the greater Dublin area, in line with the more open policy approach towards the development of new services by private sector operators.

The report of the expert group on pay claims by Dublin Bus drivers in May 2000 included a recommendation regarding the subcontracting of bus services. Bus Átha Cliath subsequently incorporated this recommendation into an agreement with their staff unions. I understand progress is being made on the implementation of this recommendation by Bus Átha Cliath. However, I have no function with regard to contractual issues, which is a day to day function of the company.

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

90 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Public Enterprise when she plans to advertise for public tender, individual routes or groups of existing routes currently operated by Dublin Bus for competition from other providers. [32267/01]

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

92 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if she will establish an interim body to regulate bus competition before the establishment of an authority to oversee transport policy in Dublin. [32269/01]

Minister for Public Enterprise (Mrs. O'Rourke)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 90 and 92 together.

The consultation paper, "A New Institutional and Regulatory Framework for Public Transport," published in September 2000, outlined the Government's proposals for institutional and regulatory reform of the public transport system. In particular, the paper proposed the introduction of competition for the bus market in Dublin through a franchising system for routes or groups of routes, with market entry regulated by an independent public transport regulator.

Recognising the significance of the changes proposed, the publication of this paper was followed by an extensive period of consultation with the social partners, in particular the Public Transport Partnership Forum. At the request of the forum, I extended the consultation period in order to allow it to carry out independent research to assist it in making a formal statement of its views in response to the paper. I understand that the consultants engaged by the forum have now reported and I expect that the forum will shortly conclude its consideration of the proposals.

Following consideration of all submissions received on the consultation paper, I will finalise my proposals for submission to the Government on regulatory reform. In the meantime, priority is being given to the preparation of legislation to establish a strategic authority for the greater Dublin area, under the auspices of a cross-departmental team led by the Department of the Environment and Local Government. Proposals for such a body were set out in a Government consultation paper "Institutional Arrangements for Land Use and Transport in the Greater Dublin Area." It is proposed that this strategic body will have responsibility for the regulation of public transport. I therefore have no interim proposals to advertise routes for public tender or establish a temporary regulatory body.