Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)

If one does not own a car in Dublin, one's options in employment, shopping, education and social opportunities are severely limited. People will only leave their cars at home if public transport is an attractive alternative. Due to failed transport policies by this and other Governments, owning a car is no longer a luxury but a necessity for many people. The 20% of households without cars are marginalised as a result of Dublin being an extreme example of a car-dependent city. Dublin transport systems are being starved of adequate funding for decades and Dublin is creaking from the pressure, with daily congestion problems and gridlock infuriating commuters.

It took three hours for buses to get from the Ringsend depot to Tallaght on 20 November, a journey that would normally take one hour and 20 minutes. This was due to roadworks being carried out during the day outside the bus depot. No doubt it was more cost effective for the contractor to carry out the work during the busiest time of the day, but what of the cost to the rest of us? Bus drivers and passengers are frustrated and under pressure, stuck in traffic jams while quality bus corridors lie empty in parts of the city. The Dublin Bus fleet has remained constant, with 50 additional buses delivered since 2001. The recently announced decision, after much procrastination, to deliver an extra 100 buses is long overdue. Buses can deliver short-term benefits at low cost.

As has been proven in other cities like Brussels and Zurich, the public transport system can be efficiently run by the public sector. We have only had to look at the private transport initiatives in Britain, which proved disastrous as safety standards were lowered, wages and passenger numbers decreased, fares rose while jobs were lost. According to subsequent cases, lives were also lost in the pursuit of profit. Dublin Bus receives one of the lowest State subsidies in Europe. It receives less than half the subsidies of cities like Stockholm, which has an excellent public transport system. Dublin Bus does not need the failed transport model of privatisation, but appropriate State investment. Through such investment, the quality of life for all of our citizens will be drastically improved by a reliable, safe, efficient, fast, clean and affordable transport system.

I support the proposal of making public transport affordable, as it is an obvious way to attract more people to avail of it. We currently have some of the highest bus and rail fares in Europe, hitting those on low incomes the hardest, as they must rely on that form of transport. Dublin Bus recently requested a 10% fare increase, which is a direct result of the fact that our public bus company is under-funded by the Government. I share the view that we should encourage greater use of public transport. One way to do that is by decreasing fares.

There is a lack of integration in our public transport system, if it could be called a system. In many other European countries, a single ticket allows one to travel by bus, metro and rail. We in this State urgently need integrated ticketing and co-ordinated timetables between our different modes of transport. There also needs to be a direct link between land use, planning and transport provision to ensure that no new large developments are built without transport access.

The Minister of State spoke about the Rail Procurement Agency and the extension of the Luas line in Tallaght, which was welcomed by everyone. However, it will only be a spur off the existing service. The Minister of State failed to mention that this is being funded by local developers. While I have no problem with that, many of the green spaces in south Dublin will be filled in with more and more houses, factories and shops to pay for it.

I support the Labour Party motion as it is an attempt to deal with the problem that exists. Most people who use public transport experience that problem. Instead of matters improving, they are getting worse. The journey from Tallaght was re-routed via Ringsend from the quays, but there is no QBC, which will be introduced in a few months. The Tallaght buses are now coming into town via Pearse Street, one of the most congested parts of the city. It is difficult to go on a bicycle along that street, not to mention a car or a bus. This adds to the frustration of the drivers and those who must travel along that route.

We need more buses. The best way of getting those buses is through the public sector. That means the Government and the taxpayer paying for a better service. The Minister of State indicated that people were increasingly using the service. If it improves, is safe, clean and affordable, people will use it.

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