Brid Smith

PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT OPPOSES FURTHER CUTS TO DUBLIN BUS

People Before Profit candidate for Mayor, Councillor Brid Smith condemns Dublin Bus’ decision to cut a 150 jobs and attack bus services by taking a further 90 buses off the road. These cuts, on top of the 120 buses that were cut from the fleet last year, will mean that Dublin Bus is operating at levels close to the 1980s. There are now just 970 buses on the road compared to 960 buses operating in 1989.

Brid Smith said:

“This is only the start of the attacks on jobs and services in Dublin Bus. While management claims these cuts will result in a more efficient service, the reality is that these cuts can only lead to poorer service and traffic chaos. Last year when they cut the buses they reduced the running time to squeeze in extra journeys, putting drivers under pressure to make the faster travel times. Drivers had to drop journeys, which were simply adjusted away by controllers.

“These cuts are just the most recent in a long series of attacks on services and jobs in Dublin Bus. The real agenda of the company is to privatise this essential public service and allow private companies to cherry pick the most profitable routes and do away with concept of the social responsibility to provide and protect public transport.

“Just like last year it will be working class areas that will suffer the most as those who depend most on these services will once find that the axe will fall heaviest on their communities.

“The worse thing about these cuts is that they make absolutely no sense. Given the high levels of unemployment in Dublin it is ridiculous to impose these massive job cuts, voluntary or otherwise, on workers who operate such a valuable public service.

“According to the Oireachtas transport committee, we’re supposed to have a target of 80 per cent of Dublin commuters travelling by bus by the end of this year. But how can these targets ever be anything other than a joke when we have one of the lowest public subsidies for bus services in the EU?

SAVE THE 206 BUS SERVICE

This morning 27th April 2009, the 206 bus was cut completely as a service in Ballyfermot. This route services an area with an aging population which also houses a population of at least 60 elderly people in Rossaveal Court. People Before Profit in Ballyfermot started at the beginning of February to campaign to save the service. We secured the support of thousands of local people who signed petitions. We held a very significant public meeting, supported by all the local councillors. We lobbied the local Fianna Fail TD and organised roadside protests in Ballyfermot. We also had the support of pensioners committees and the local bus committee.

Despite all our efforts the 206 service was taken off the road from today. All the bus stops on the route have been removed. Local residents who use the service are aged and in many cases disabled. They rely on the service to get to the post office, the bank, the doctor and hospital appointments. Now that it has been removed many of them will be forced to pay costly taxi fares from their weekly pension in order to carry out basic functions in their daily lives.

RTE’s Pat Kenny show conducted a live broadcast from the Rossaveal Court complex this morning and interviewed local people who rely on the service.
They also interviewed Ballyfermot’s local People Before Profit candidate Brid Smith.

Bríd Smith explained: “When I heard about the loss of the 206 I rang the Conyngham Road garage and was told by the manager that even if the 206 bus was full on each journey that it “wouldn’t pay the rent”. The point of a public service is to look after the needs of the local community not to make a profit. Dozens of elderly people in our community will now be totally dependent on taxis if they can afford them. At worst they will be isolated and unable to make the journey to the post office, doctor, church or any of the day-to-day places that they need to attend. It is utterly wrong for Dublin Bus to cancel this service. We would appeal to all local politicians and groups of influence to voice their objection to this cut on behalf of the local community. What is needed in the Rossmore/Drumfinn area of Ballyfermot is a regular small bus service that is reliable and moves in and out of the estate to help these most respected members of our community function in their daily lives. Bus cuts don’t serve to take cars off the road and the removal of the 206 is a case in point. All that will be achieved is to totally discommode the most vulnerable people in the Ballyfermot area. We call on Dublin Bus to immediately reverse this most miserable cut back and return a bus service to the people of the area.”

BUS CUTS PLAN SHOWS CONTEMPT FOR PEOPLE.

- writes Fintan O’Toole in the Irish Times.

24^th March 2009

See article at the link below

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2009/0324/1224243316653.html

Ballyfermot Local Bus Protest

February 27^th 2009

Protesters, from both Ballyfermot and Clondalkin, gathered at Ballyfermot’s main roundabout on Friday evening 27th February to highlight the proposed bus cuts to the local area. It was organised by People Before Profit candidates Brid Smith and Gino Kenny.

A crowd of about 50 people gathered holding banners for about an hour as passing buses, cars and trucks blared their horns continuously in support.

Brid said ” locals are angry about the proposed cuts and fear that there may be major cuts made to the 78A route which serves both the local communities of Clondalkin and Ballyfermot. The 206 route which runs a local service around Ballyfermot is also thought to be on the chopping block and vital services to elderly of Ballyfermot.”

Eugene McDonagh, national executive of the National Bus and Railworkers Union, who atteneded the protest said new schedules have been presented to the unions which indicate that there will be bigger gaps on the roads

He also said “They’ve slashed the times which will make it an unsustainable service, the buses will be running late and that puts the blame back on the driver.”

Unions and Dublin Bus are  in ongoing neogiatations after strike action was deferred following talks with the Labour Relations Commission.

Public Meeting in Ballyfermot

February 9^th 2009

There was a large attendance at the public meeting, organised by local People before Profit candidate Brid Smith to highlight the cuts to the bus service for the area.

Speakers from the National Bus & Rail workers Union, local residents associations, as well as councillors for the area all attended. Two workers involved in the occupation of Waterford Glass were invited as guest speakers to explain their story and what they were doing to try and save jobs and production at the Waterford Crystal Factory. There was also a delegation from Clondalkin led by Gino Kenny, a local PBP candidate in the area, another area which will be badly hit by the cuts to the 78A Bus service.