Commuters face third day of bus strike chaos

Up to 60,000 commuters are hoping for a breakthrough today in the bus dispute which has left them stranded since Monday.

Dublin Bus management and union chiefs are preparing to hold exploratory talks at the Labour Court as passengers in the north and west of the capital brace themselves for a third morning without any services.

Drivers from the Harristown depot stopped working on Monday morning when a driver was suspended for refusing to operate one of two new routes.

They are arguing that plans to introduce new routes, due to start at the beginning of the week, could lengthen their working day as they may have to begin or end it in the city as well as take breaks there.

The picket has affected dozens of routes in Finglas, Swords, Ballymun, Blanchardstown, Donabate, Portrane, Dunboyne, Littlepace, Tyrrelstown, Damastown, Portmarnock, Kinsealy and Kilmore, with thousands of commuters forced to make alternative travel arrangements.

SIPTU Branch Organiser Willie Noone revealed last night that Kevin Duffy, Chairman of the Labour Court, had invited the parties to hold talks.

“The speedy intervention of Mr Duffy is very much to be welcomed,” Mr Noone said.

“This dispute needs to be resolved quickly in the interests of the general public as well as our members in Harristown.”

Drivers from Harristown are also staging a protest march from the Garden of Remembrance in Parnell Square to the Dublin Bus headquarters in O’Connell Street at 11am today.

Organisers stress that other Dublin Bus drivers were being called on to walk off the job to join them.