Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy is right about the number of buses but capacity in Dublin Bus has increased by over 40% in the past few years. The type of bus the company is now using has a much greater capacity than those that were used eight or nine years ago. While the numbers have increased marginally, the capacity to deliver passengers around Dublin has increased by over 40%.

The second point is valid. All the issues have been examined and I have largely completed the necessary discussions. I want to see not alone the 200 buses required going to Dublin Bus but the private sector adding significantly to that capacity. That is part of the market opening process. We are close to the end game in these issues and I want to bring them to a conclusion very quickly during this session. We are focused on outcomes and the one we want most is for passengers. We want to ensure that the bus is seen as an alternative to the car, and quality bus corridors have an important role to play in that regard.

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