Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

I understand from Dublin Bus that it has commenced implementation of the recommendations of the Deloitte report. The implementation process includes the application of the principles identified in the report, such as the amalgamation of route legs and the use of even headways between buses, as part of its cost recovery plan. The company has also commenced work on the review and redesign of the network in line with the Deloitte report and Dublin Bus is targeting mid-2010 for the completion of this work. This involves a detailed review of the 18 main route corridors served by Dublin Bus. I am informed that Dublin Bus is rolling out automatic vehicle location, AVL, and real time passenger information on a depot by depot basis with the first depot to be completed by the end of this year. Once AVL has been introduced this will enable Dublin Bus to provide real time passenger Information, RTPI, by way of Internet or mobile phone access. Funding has also been set aside for Dublin City Council to enable the installation of RTPI display signs at bus stops in a similar fashion to those at Luas and DART stops.

Both Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann are introducing a single smart card in the greater Dublin area on a phased basis over the period to early 2011. Dublin Bus introduced a "disposable" smart card in 2008 for its current range of prepaid tickets and more than 30 million smart card transactions take place every year.

While I have no plans to restructure other areas of CIE and Dublin Bus in the immediate future, my Department is currently developing public service contracts for the annual compensation paid to the CIE companies in respect of their PSO services. These contracts, which will replace the current memoranda of understanding, are due to be in place by early December.

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