[IHIR]

this was in Sunday Times

CIE will be forced to improve its services or face fines and the possible loss of routes to private contractors under the terms of a new bill to be published by Noel Dempsey, the transport minister.

The legislation will force Dublin Bus, Bus Eireann and Irish Rail to deliver improvements in return for the funding they get from government.

It will permit the Department of Transport to impose significant fines on the companies or remove routes and seek tenders from private firms to operate them if standards are not met.

It also aims to ensure CIE uses funding it receives from the taxpayer more efficiently by forcing it to enter a legally binding contract which sets out key performance targets.

If the requirements are not met, the contract will allow the transport department to seek the return of monies it provides to subsidise the state company.

The proposals are contained in the Public Transport Regulation Bill 2009 which is likely to come before the Dail in the autumn.

The transport agency received €310m from the state in 2008 to subsidise its services. Irish Rail received €197m in government funds last year while Dublin Bus got €81m and Bus Eireann received €32m


While i'd welcome the introduction of performance targets (which should obviously have been in place for year) , i am not sure the fine is of relevance given that the taxpayer contributes so much, so CIE would get money from the taxpayer, then make a cock up, then get fined and then give the same money back to the government? Wouldnt it be more in their line to do a full root and (union) branch review of what the subsidies are actually spent on? I live about 7 miles from cork and cant get a late bus home and the day time bus is hit and miss. I would like a transparent breakdown line by line of what the subsidy is spent on, that would be more effective i think