Brid Smith

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.

206 servcie to be axed in Ballyfermot

Last night there was a public meeting  at the Ballyfermot United Sports & Social Club on Blackditch Road (opposite Swimming Pool) organsied by the People Before Profit Alliance in Ballyfermot. Speakers from the National Bus & Railworkers Union, local residents associations, workers from the Waterford Crystal Union as well as councillors for the area all attended.

Many locals were angry at the cuts to local bus services as well as cuts to bus services across Dublin. In Ballyfermot, the 78A service will be cut and the 206 service will be completely removed. In total Dublin Bus is to lay off 300 employees and cut 120 routes across the city. This amounts to one tenth of the total bus service.

Brid Smith says “these cuts to services will hit the most vulnerable the hardest.  Route 206 which services the Drumfinn area five times per day will be gone. Drumfinn is an area that fought hard to get a service for its aging population, who will have genuine difficulty making the long trek to the main road.

Route 78A will have at least 20 departures per day cut from the existing timetable. Everyone knows that this is one of the most used buses in Dublin. There will most certainly be longer gaps between bus services on the 78A.

By undermining the frequency of the service in this area Dublin Bus will force people away from using the buses and lead to further cuts and more redundancies.”

Further protests and action in the area was agreed by supporters, asking Residents Associations, environmental groups and trade unions to get behind the Busworkers’ campaign to save jobs and buses and force the Government to properly fund public transport.