06/08/2013

Fianna Fáil Calls On Varadkar To Open Bus Lanes

Bus lanes around Dublin city should be opened to traffic during the ongoing Dublin Bus strike, a Fianna Fáil (FF) Senator has said.

FF party spokesperson Darragh O'Brien, has called on the Minister for Transport to open up all bus lanes in Dublin to help commuters affected by the Dublin Bus strike.

"The Dublin Bus strike has caused traffic chaos across the city. 400,000 commuters have been discommoded, there are thousands of extra cars on the roads and motorists have had to look at empty bus lanes," Senator O'Brien said.

"It's absolute nonsense that the Department of Transport has refused to open up the bus lanes. A huge swathe of the city and county is not served by the DART or Luas and people depend on buses. I am calling on Minister Leo Varadkar to take action and open up the bus lanes until the dispute is resolved."

Senator O'Brien also criticised Minister Varadkar's hands-off approach to the dispute.

"The hands-off stance adopted by the Minister is just not acceptable. People expect the Minister for Transport to do his job and actively seek a resolution to the dispute. I find it incredible that a Dublin-based Minister is so passive here, he should be pulling out all the stops to mediate between unions and management.

"Businesses in Dublin stand to lose millions in lost revenue every day and at the height of the holiday season our tourism sector is also taking a hit.

"Dublin Bus loses €600,000 for every day of the dispute, the longer this goes on the extra cost saving the company will have to perform. Whether the Minister likes it or not he must step up and provide some long-overdue leadership on this."

(MH/JP)

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