Mr. Billy Hann:

The safety and security of employees and customers is of paramount importance to Dublin Bus. The number of antisocial behaviour events is quite small, at about 700 per annum, compared with the number of passengers we carry, which is approximately 122 million. We take every single one of the antisocial events incredibly seriously and work with An Garda Síochána to investigate any of the issues, if that is what is required.

We have a very strong antisocial behaviour framework within the organisation. It is a multilayered framework that allows us to provide the security and protection required for our staff and customers. It includes bus driver training and protection and communication between the driver and the central control area such that if a driver has an issue or concern, he or she can communicate, via voice communication, with the central control area. Central control can actually send out a mobile inspector to assist the bus driver if required. The driver can call the Garda to seek assistance if required. In addition, we have an extensive employee engagement programme for working with the communities to try to address, from an educational perspective, some of the antisocial behaviour issues we encounter. In addition, our buses have 14 CCTV cameras, with 11 on the inside and three on the outside. We sit on multi-stakeholder forums, including the NTA, to discuss antisocial behaviour and any mitigation measures that can be implemented.