Cullen criticised over provision of new buses

Minister for Transport Martin Cullen has been accused of misleading the public and talking "nonsense" over the provision of new buses for the Dublin area.

The criticism comes after yesterday's launch by Mr Cullen's of ambitious new €34 billion transport plan, Transport 21, which the Taoiseach has insisted will be completed on time and on budget.

Minister for Transport Martin Cullen

Following a television interview with Mr Cullen last night, Green Party TD Eamon Ryan claimed Mr Cullen's assertion that only 20 buses were provided to Dublin Bus because that was all that was requested, was false.

Mr Ryan said: "The truth is that Dublin Bus have been repeatedly asking the Minister to deliver over 200 buses to meet the urgent demand for more public transport in the city."

"The National Development plan 2000-2006 provided for an expansion of 275 buses, but so far only 93 of these have being delivered. In March this year Dublin Bus made a new application for 210 additional buses for the period 2006 to 2008, but they have again been unable to get any commitment to this expansion from the Minister."

Mr Ryan claimed that Dublin Bus was almost forced to buy 20 additional buses out of its own funds.

"Having failed to get any response to their application, the chief executive of Dublin Bus finally wrote to the Minister two weeks ago stating that the company was being forced to buy 20 additional buses that were needed for essential replacement purposes, out of their own current revenues," said Mr Ryan.

"It was only in response to that letter that the Minister conceded that he would fund those 20 replacement buses. His comments last night that he only gave what he was asked for is a complete nonsense."

Speaking to ireland.comtoday, General Secretary of the National Bus and Railworkers' Union, Liam Tobin, said the omission of short-term planning for bus routes nationwide, but in particular Dublin, was a concern for all commuters and transport workers, and failed to address the "immediate problem" of congestion.

Mr Tobin described Mr Cullen's current offer of 20 buses to Dublin Bus as a "drop in the ocean" and nowhere near close enough to the number still due under the 2000-2006 National Development Plan.

"This plan (Transport 21) is a very good plan for future generations, but it's seven, eight or maybe 10 years before anything gets off the ground.  And in the meantime, the cities and towns of Ireland are in gridlock, and leading them is Dublin.

"The extra buses and the quality bus corridors can be provided, in the short term, for about a fiftieth of the cost of one kilometre of tram track," said Mr Tobin

Mr Cullen's recent request for Dublin Bus to provide a business plan based around Transport 21, is effectively shifting the goalposts, according to Mr Tobin, after the Minister had asked for, and received, a plan prior to yesterday's launch.

"Now he has drawn up a new initiative, and he wants another business plan" said Mr Tobin. "So all the discussions we had with the Department, which we considered to have been very near closure point, have now all apparently been put on hold." Speaking after the launch of Transport 21yesterday, the Taoiseach said the plan had been "fully evaluated and built into budgetary planning over the next 10 years".

Nearly €9.5 million would now be spent "every day" up to 2015 to give Ireland the services needed by a modern economy and expected by foreign investors in a country as prosperous as Ireland, he said.

"We need and deserve a first-class transport system. We have all worked to generate the resources, now we must invest to continue to improve the lives of everybody," he said.

The Green Party insists that the government will promise anything ahead of an election, but that the public were now more aware of such tactics and "increasingly sceptical".

"The Minster's comments about Dublin Bus should only confirm that they cannot be trusted when it comes to providing a proper public transport system," concluded Mr Ryan.

Under the Transport 21 plan, motorways will be completed between Dublin and the major cities by 2010, while a road of near-motorway standards would run between Cork and Letterkenny, Co Donegal, by 2013.

Billions are to be spent on trains, including "a New York-style Grand Central Station", to quote Mr Cowen, under St Stephen's Green, which will act as a hub for mainline, Luas and metro services.