SWEEPING CHANGES in public transport regulations to provide for the maximum degree of competition are at the centre of a new Fine Gael policy document.
Competitive tendering for “bundles” or groups of bus routes were the basis for the new policy, Fergus O’Dowd TD, the party’s transport spokesman in the Dáil, told a news conference in Dublin yesterday.
Fine Gael in government would establish an Irish transport authority (ITA) to set out the routes and services required and the level of public service subsidy needed to operate these routes.
“The ITA at the outset will create a national transport strategy, define the bundled routes and then invite tenders from all and sundry,” Mr O’Dowd said. The bundles would include profitable routes as well as other routes required from a public service viewpoint.
“We’re not talking about cherry-picking of routes, but we’re allowing people to compete and get in there, whether you’re Bus Éireann, Dublin Bus or Paddy Murphy or whoever with your private fleet of buses or just one or two buses.”
Both CIÉ companies and private operators would be allowed to tender for routes. Successful applicants would sign a five-year contract with the ITA (open to a two-year extension based on performance) setting out service standards such as frequency, cost, reliability and cleanliness.
“The ITA will take ownership of State-owned bus stations and city-centre depots,” Mr O’Dowd said. Upon signing transport contracts, bus companies would be allowed to use these facilities.
Fine Gael is opposing the Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009, being debated in the Oireachtas, because, according to a party statement, “it maintains a veil of protection around CIÉ and does not offer any real competition”.
Fine Gael transport spokesman in the Seanad Senator Paschal Donohoe said the objective was dramatically to reduce waiting times for people in need of bus transport.
Gerry Mullins, chief executive of the Coach Tourism and Transport Council, told The Irish Timesthat his organisation favoured the immediate introduction of greater competition.
