Michael Kennedy (Dublin North, Fianna Fail)

I very much welcome the opportunity to speak on this report. I am delighted Dublin Bus has postponed the industrial dispute that was to take place on Saturday. This weekend sees one of the city's biggest events; in addition to the Fianna Fáil Árd-Fheis, the Ireland v. England rugby match will bring a considerable number of visitors and tourists. At this stage in our public finances, when this year we will borrow over €18 billion, the public demands and expects us to have efficiencies in all our services. I have no doubt the people who use the bus service are equally seeking that efficiency and high level of service. In Dublin North, one of the fastest growing regions in the country, if not in Europe, those who use the bus want to get to their workplaces in a timely and efficient manner and want to get home in the evening. Any bus service provider, whether Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann or the private operators, must put the customer first. This report highlights that aspect, namely that it is all about giving the customers what they want — a fast, efficient service at a reasonable cost. In the context of the cost to the State, €313 million of Government subvention, the public has a right to demand efficiencies and service.

We need to encourage more people to use public transport. Providing a good bus service is one way we will get people to leave their cars at home. Unfortunately, I do not have the luxury of a good public bus service and that is one of the reasons I am a bit envious of the Acting Chairman, Deputy O'Connor, who has the Luas service in Tallaght and his south side colleagues who have a very good DART service. We very much look forward to metro north coming out to Swords so Deputy O'Dowd and I can, perhaps, leave our cars on the perimeter of the M1 in Swords and travel in comfort in 20 minutes into town. The public demands that we provide those services and if we fail to deliver an efficient bus service it is guaranteed that people will continue to use their cars. In the long term that is not sustainable.

The fact that this report has highlighted a number of inefficiencies and duplications is indicative. There is duplication in many areas. I noticed a letter in The Irish Times last Saturday week in which a person commented on the fact that five 46A buses from the Dún Laoghaire area were queued up behind each other on Merrion Square. Around 6 p.m. last Sunday I was driving back from St. Vincent's Hospital and on Clare Street there were two 46As. Of the five buses mentioned in the letter, two had a reasonable number of passengers on board and three had no passengers. This is the challenge Dublin Bus has to provide a service that is efficient but not duplicated, particularly when there are growing population areas.

In my area of Dublin North a large number of new estates have no bus service or a less than satisfactory service. There is a challenge for Dublin Bus to tap into that market. It is a concern that Dublin Bus passenger numbers are down for last year. That is very disappointing. I throw out the challenge to Dublin Bus management to examine areas where it has a captive audience and a growing market. All over Dublin North, south Meath, Kildare and Wicklow there are areas where it can tap in and increase its passenger numbers and revenue, which it badly needs. I challenge Dublin Bus to examine the areas of duplication and insufficient service.

The management of Bus Éireann and particularly Dublin Bus have improved but the old political maxim the Acting Chairman and I were used to, "A lot done; more to do", is very relevant. Both companies should examine the areas where the service is not up to scratch because if they provide the service they will get people to use the bus. This report has highlighted many areas of duplication and mentions the Finglas route. I am slightly disappointed it did not pick many other routes. I hope the management of Dublin Bus will look inward and see if five buses could be reduced to two with the supplementation of a Nipper bus service from the different estates in more areas than just Finglas. In my area the concept of providing Nipper bus services to Swords, Skerries, Balbriggan or wherever would encourage people to use Dublin Bus and go to mainline trains and the DART service.

The report talks about bunching, which I mentioned regarding the 46A. Nothing is more frustrating for a passenger. The e-mails and other communications I receive from people when they complain about the service say they see four or five buses coming one after another and then no bus for half an hour or longer. The management must examine that situation and come up with solutions. Providing more buses is not necessarily the answer. The report indicated that fewer buses, if the service is integrated properly, can supply a better service. Dublin Bus can achieve a much better result and give a better service with the existing number of buses. The structures have been improving but I still believe there is much opportunity for the company to bring about new routes and new integration, particularly with the Nipper bus service from the outer estates into the core village areas. Such integration can allow the company to achieve a major increase in passenger numbers and will allow the company to provide the service which its passengers demand.

At a recent meetings of the Joint Committee on Transport I referred to Dublin Bus competing with Luas and other train services. Nobody in his or her right mind will use an unreliable bus service when there is an almost guaranteed journey time with a train, which generally will turn up on time and arrive at its destination on time. This is part of the challenge facing Dublin Bus. It should not be competing where it cannot win but rather where it does not have opposition and where there are the passenger numbers.

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