Sinn Féin spokesperson for Transport, Pa Daly TD, and Sinn Féin spokesperson for Dublin, Mark Ward TD have slammed the decision to renew the new deal for private bus operator Go-Ahead.
They called on the government and the National Transport Authority to intervene and halt the contract renewal.
Commenting on the news that the NTA intends to continue with a service that is failing to deliver, Teachta Daly said:
“The service delivered by ‘Go-Ahead’ has frankly been shambolic. There has been absolute chaos on their bus routes.
“Commuters experience severe delays, or their buses are cancelled altogether.
“The reality is that the private bus service model is failing to deliver.
“Sinn Féin have expressed concern about this arrangement from the outset. I take no pleasure in this stance being vindicated.
“It is frankly appalling that this contract is being renewed despite the well-flagged issues with the service.
“I wrote to the National Transport Authority earlier this week to express concerns about any extension of Go-Ahead’s contract and to ask about minimum service obligations.
“While I have yet to receive any response, today I learned that the NTA intended to ‘strengthen service obligations’. Why were these provisions not already present? Where is the value for money for tax payers?
“If Go-Ahead cannot guarantee the service that they have been contracted and paid large amounts to carry out, then it should be cancelled. And it certainly should not be renewed. It is as simple as that.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson for Dublin, Mark Ward TD, said:
“It is clear that the service operated by Go-Ahead is not fit for purpose. It is unacceptable that the people of Dublin are just expected to put up with this.
“Children are late for school. Workers are failing to show up on time to work. People are missing important medical appointments.
“Commuters deserve better. I cannot believe that Go-Ahead are looking to take on new routes when they do not have the capacity to service the routes that they already have. It does not make any sense.
“The government and National Transport Authority must urgently address these issues. They must bring these routes back under public control so that ordinary workers and families can go about their everyday lives.”
