Dublin transport plans unveiled

Plans for an overhaul of Dublin’s transport system were today unveiled in a bid to ease congestion in the city.

Transport minister Seamus Brennan said up to a quarter of the city’s bus services would be franchised out to the private sector from 2004.

He said he would also be announcing a decision on fare increases during the coming week.

Speaking at a briefing in Dublin Mr Brennan described his plans as “controlled competition“.

He outlined plans to abolish the holding company CIE and establish the existing three bus firms as independent commercial state companies.

The minister described the move as a time of opportunity for Irish transport.

“In most other countries a lot more people use public transport systems than do here, and I am anxious to get more people on public transport, to grow the market, give people choice and I believe the systems I have laid out today will do that,” he said.

“We will commence a process of opening up the markets, opening the Dublin market, from the start of 2004 by franchising out up to 25% of the routes.

“That will bring a competitive atmosphere to transport.

“I believe that will provide more choice, more services and therefore the public will have a better service. And if the public have a better service they will use public transport a lot more.”

However unions reacted angrily to the news, with Liam Berney of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions saying the plan caused grave concern.

“It is our belief from our experience that the franchising of public transport in other European cities has been an unmitigated disaster,” he said.

He said the ICTU was not prepared to jeopardise a service which its members had been running successfully for years