Tipperary school bus operators convicted of anti-competition offences

Five men found guilty of attempting to distort competition in bidding on tenders to provide school bus routes through Bus Éireann

The single charge against each accused alleged that between November 1, 2014, and December 31, 2016, they engaged in a concerted practice which had as its object or effect the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition in trade in the provision of school transport services.

A jury at the Central Criminal Court has unanimously convicted five men of colluding a decade ago to drive tender prices higher in the provision of school bus services across the south-west of the country.

The panel of three women and seven men agreed with the prosecution case that the men had attempted to “load the dice” to distort competition in the market, affecting taxpayers.