State paying almost €300m to private contractors to run public transport

Figures released to Sinn Féin TD Pa Daly show that €250m of that alone goes to Go-Ahead

Pa Daly said that the figures show a 'creeping reliance' on privatisation in the sector.

The overall cost to the State of paying private operators to run public transport has hit nearly €300m.

Figures released to Sinn Féin TD Pa Daly show that since 2018, €250m of that alone goes to Go-Ahead, which operates outer Dublin, Dublin commuter and two orbital routes in the capital. In February, the NTA published a letter of intent to continue its relationship with Go-Ahead, despite criticisms of the levels of service.

A response to Mr Daly from the National Transport Authority says on top of this €295m spend, the TFI Local Link/Rural Transport Programme is "managed and administered by 15 Transport Coordination Units on behalf of the National Transport Authority". 

These routes operate two types of services — Regular Rural Bus Services (RRS) which operate on a fixed route between towns and villages and run on a scheduled timetable, and Door-to-Door Bus Services (DRT) which operate along fixed routes with the option to divert to collect and drop off passengers at their home with frequencies ranging from once a week to daily.

"Currently there are in excess of 150 RRS and 1,000 DRT routes in operation across the TFI Local Link network, with all TFI Local Link routes being operated by private transport operators. There are almost 300 transport operators providing these routes who range in size from the driver/owner operation to the larger transport companies."

'This does not come cheap'

Mr Daly said that the figures show a "creeping reliance" on privatisation in the sector.

"Recent figures I received from the National Transport Authority reveal Ireland’s creeping reliance on commercial operators at a huge cost to the tax-payer.

"In terms of urban and city routes, over 80 routes are now run privately, with this likely to increase following the NTA decision to renew the contract for Go-Ahead for Dublin’s Metropolitan area.

"Unsurprisingly, this does not come cheap. The state is currently paying nearly €300 million to have these routes privately run. €250 million of this alone is going to one company Go-Ahead. This amount will inevitably rise again following contract renewals.

"These figures do not include rural services, so the actual amount being paid to commercial operators is likely to be much higher."

He said many of the privatised routes have been plagued with problems since the outset. 

"On some, ghost buses are seen as the norm," he added.

Mr Daly said the fact that Go-Ahead’s contract has been renewed "despite the well flagged issues with the service is deeply concerning".