Irish Rail needs tofast-track smoking ban
Proof of this lies with Irish Rail. A year into the workplace smoking ban, the state-owned railway company remains completely oblivious to it.
Ten years ago, critics of Irish Rail suggested that its rolling stock indicated a company stuck in the past. It is clear from the mindset of its employees that it remains stuck in the past, specifically pre-smoking ban.
Having brought smoking in an enclosed location to the attention of the ticket clerk at a rail station in Dublin last February, he refused point blank to do anything about it. My reward for bringing his refusal to implement the law (an employee of a state body, no less) to the attention of the minister for transport was to be subjected to harassment by the individual the next time I used that station.
More recently, my brother raised the issue of smoking in an enclosed location with staff at another Dublin station. He was passed from pillar to post and eventually told he would have to ring head office.
At that mainline station also there were no mandatory notices displayed stating to whom any complaint concerning breach of the law should be made.
As Irish Rail clearly believes it is above the law, but is insistent on defending its rights in other areas of law, such as large notices warning that fare evasion is theft, it is quite clear that the smoking ban legislation needs to be beefed up and specific provisions included to regulate public transport providers.
Many years ago I was expelled from a train station in the north midlands for taking photographs without having asked permission.
In justifying this course of action, the stationmaster said that “a bit of manners would do me no harm.” It strikes me that this was a prime case of the pot calling the kettle black.
Ewan Duffy
175 Woodview
Castletown
Celbridge
Co Kildare
