Fare increases, school transport and the proposed Cuchulann Tunnel

1. funding or that solutions and the status
News Up-Date promises serious quo that has protected
January 2011. commitment in the outdated routes, non-
absence of otherwise commercial
proven difficulties in applications to those
this model. routes and a business
model sustainable only
Fare The reason FOTO is by State subventions.
Increases: not doing anything There are presently 150
about certain Irish private bus/coach
”commercial benefit” owners capable and
There are many private
issues is that whenever willing to finance the
bus/coach operators
it does, everyone research and viability
envying the simple
benefits, whether they studies required for this
solution of Dublin Bus
pay for the service or major application to the
to make ends meet-
not, evidence the fuel NTA. It is their right to
increase the fares!
rebate when 1,300 expect that they should
operators benefited benefit in the first
This is a solution only
from the investment of instance.
available to a State
160!
company on a route
protected under the
Those who are School
new Transport Act and
where competition is
prepared to pay are not Transport
prepared to allow
not allowed!
others to benefit from The main concern for
their investment and over 80% of Irish
Many of you are asking
have bought into their bus/coach owners is
what FOTO is doing to
own limited company, their School Transport
right this kind of
ibus plc. This is not a contract. This has been
wrong. What is anyone
co-op, it is not a the cornerstone of their
else doing? What are
committee, it is a business for over 30
you doing?
business. years. There has been a
Certainly FOTO complete erosion of the
continues to represent value added of this
ibus plc. has proposed contract in the last 2/3
the interests of over
a new national network years and for many it
1,100 bus/coach
of services developed has become barely
owners within the
around the concept of a worth having except
present legislative
new National Bus for the fear of losing it
framework and has its
Terminus. This altogether. The reality
consultant, Mr. Frank
proposal is the only one here is that this contract
King in the pivotal
on the table of the NTA is given to the State
position on the Board
by any organisation or company, Bus Eireann,
of the National
other business within by the Department of
Transport Authority
the Irish transport Education with only
[NTA] However, this
industry. It is the “tag” attaching that
representation can only
shamefacedly it shows a reduction on
work within such
challenging the new the previous year. This
framework and cannot
Authority to examine is only achieved by Bus
take actions that
other transport Eireann through
require serious ongoing

2. 2.
Legal action will. Which would you
continually reducing
prefer?
the price it pays to you
Who will benefit from
the subcontractor by
such an action? Whoever wins the
pitting you against each
contract will have first
other. There is no
Not you if you do not choice and the less than
competition applied to
have the resources to attractive runs will be
the services or routes of
do so. tendered out!
Bus Eireann itself and
for so long as they can
ibus plc. is presently
show a reduction in
working on the most
what it charges the
Any international cost efficient way to
Department of
transport company, force this contract to
Education annually to
such as Stagecoach, tender. It is also acutely
provide the service, the
First Group etc. could aware of opening any
objective is met!
do it! opportunity to its
competitors that it
We can challenge this
Bus Eireann could cannot exploit itself!
too.
continue to do it! This is not a case of
dithering nor is it a fear
There is ample
ibus plc. could do it! of competition, merely,
evidence to show that
a prudent approach to
contracts such as this
Any collective of ensure the protection of
should be tendered in
bus/coach owners its shareholders. It
full. Such tender to
could do it! would not, for instance,
include the cost of
be a good strategy to
managing the contract,
Now would be a good advise when, how, or
providing the service
time for a challenge to who will be involved in
and maintaining the
this arrangement and this. We do have room
standards and safety
no doubt there are for more subscribers
any such service is
others thinking the and you would be most
obliged and should
same. welcome at this time,
have.
It is important that you however, you should
understand the know that ibus plc. is
Why is this not being
implications of each of capable of mounting
done?
these options. It is now this challenge within its
a question of when existing base of
ibus plc. has written to
rather than if that this bus/coach owners.
the Minister for
contract is managed by My promise to protect
Education pointing out
either of the above, a the identities of any
that under a different
large collective of subscribers remains
business model there
small individual and has stood up to that
could be savings of up
bus/coach owners [ibus test for over 3 years
to €300m over a 5 year
plc.] or one large now!
period!
international or one
State company or30 to
Representation will not
60 medium sized
force this contract to
operations.
tender.

3. 3.
Cuchulann
Tunnel
I have never had so It will create 10s of
many queries about a thousands of jobs
subject before!
It will become the
Behind this proposal is preferred route for the
the original concept of bulk of imports/exports
ibus plc.! for Europe to/from
China/America.
The events of the last It will become the new
18 months have Wonder of the 21st
brought our country to Century
its knees. We are
doubting our education, It will generate major
our abilities, our spirit tourism.
and our hope.
I cannot say if this will
During the years of be built in my lifetime,
earlier depressions and but, it must be
wars people have proposed now for
reached extraordinary tomorrow.
heights to overcome
adversity. Governments Benefit to ibus plc.?
have responded to the
spirit of its people by I will welcome your
providing the base for comments!
stimulus and
investment, America is jdunne@jfd.ie
a strong case in point
when it built the
Hoover Dam!
John Dunne
Ireland can do the
same. Ireland is pivotal
to Europe. We only
hear of our island status
and how peripheral we
are to Europe and a
help us mentality.
The Cuchulann Tunnel
is the major stimulus
for Ireland.