Sinn Féin TD for Dublin Bay North Denise Mitchell has described the news that Go-Ahead bus firm are to be fined for failing to meet punctuality targets on almost half their routes as “only further proof that prioritising privatisation over investment only ever harms customers”.

The Dublin spokesperson for Sinn Féin said:

“The reports today that Go-Ahead has failed to achieve a punctuality rate of at least 65% between April and June this year only confirms what those of us who were against the privatisation of the bus routes said from the start.

“Choosing to privatise rather than invest was only going to harm customers who would be left at the mercy of a private company who treats public transport not as a public service, but as a solely for profit enterprise.

“In my own area, I had highlighted the 17A, a major satellite route, as one that was particularly important to transport through my constituency. It is also one of the routes highlighted as suffering from a lack of punctuality by the new provider.

“The Government need to radically rethink their agenda of privatisation before more customers are left out in the cold.”