Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 143: To ask the Minister for Transport if he has received requests for the provision of feeder bus services to facilitate commuters using railway stations in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15868/05]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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There are some licence applications under consideration in my Department for bus services in the County Kildare area which include stops at train stations. The provision of public bus services on specific routes is a commercial and operational matter for bus operators.

It is open to any private bus operator who may be interested to apply to my Department for an annual passenger licence under the Road Transport Act 1932 to operate a regular bus service on such as those routes mentioned in the Deputy's question and my Department would look favourably on any such application.

It is also open to Bus Éireann to initiate new services subject to compliance with the necessary regulatory requirement of giving advance notice to my Department and to compliance with the provisions of section 25 of the Transport Act 1958 concerning competition with licensed private operators.