Bus strike shows need for reliable alternative

It is hard to escape the conclusion that those leading the Dublin Bus strike are not blindly stuck in an intra-union 1970s timewarp when their predecessors could bully the public with impunity because there was little alternative to the State services across an inefficient city road network.

But the omnipotence bus drivers enjoyed then is considerably diluted. There are myriad options available and the road network is vastly improved. Average fares on Dublin Bus services increased by 25% since 2009 while the Consumer Price Index only increased by 4.2 percentage points, but the number of annual passenger journeys promptly dropped by 20% — conclusive evidence that bus travel is extremely price-sensitive. Dublin Bus revenue from advertising coincidentally dropped by 17%. Added to that, unemployment in Dublin has risen from 8.9% in 2009 to 11.3% in 2013 and today there are 25,000 fewer in employment in Dublin than in early 2009.

Therefore, the longer this Dublin Bus strike continues the more compelling and urgent will become the demand from Dubliners for a reliable alternative efficient, modern, streamlined city bus service, characterised by value for money; perhaps an innovative type of ‘suburban Ryanair’ or ‘London Bus’ no-frills alternative. Public tolerance of self-serving vested interests has a very short fuse, especially when the public are grossly inconvenienced.