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ON THE DAY that British transport company Go-Ahead won the contract to take over 10% of Dublin Bus’ routes, it lost a railway contract back in the heart of the UK.
While Ireland’s National Transport Authority (NTA) announced that Go-Ahead had won out over Dublin Bus for control of 24 bus routes operating around the outskirts of the city centre, the UK Department for Transport confirmed that the West Midlands train franchise would go to a Dutch-Japanese company instead of Go-Ahead.
It’s not a great start for the winner of the NTA’s tendering process, which they said was carried out to compare and improve Dublin’s bus services.
Making matters worse were the concerns of unions and some TDs – who said that this could mark the start of the privatisation of Dublin Bus, and a “race to the bottom” for drivers’ pay packages.
What was announced yesterday?
The UK transport company was one of six applicants shortlisted during the application process.
After four applicants withdrew their bid because a bus depot would not be provided as part of the contract, the final decision was between Go-Ahead and the semi-State company Dublin Bus.
After the preferred bidder for the role was announced yesterday, concerns were raised about work conditions for the new drivers and whether the deal was, or would eventually lead to, the privatisation of Dublin Bus (or part of it).
But the NTA maintains that this is not the privatisation of Dublin Bus and merely a system like the Luas – with routes and vehicles owned by the state and operated by a private company.
The transport authority said that timetables, routes, fares and Leap Cards would be set by the State for Go-Ahead to implement, meaning no routes would be cancelled or hiked up in price (well, not without State approval).
It added that the purpose of the tender was to compare and improve its city services, and that it chose routes on the outskirts of the city that wouldn’t be affected by Luas Cross City diversions and provide unnecessary complications.
If Go-Ahead succeeds in improving the service – by making it more punctual, for example – then we could see more routes being put out to tender. The NTA said it will make that decision in 2019 (Go-Ahead will be operating all 24 Dublin Bus routes by February 2019, remember).
So what has the company done?
Go-Ahead are one of the largest operators of bus services in the UK, running around a quarter of London’s buses, regional buses that account for around 7% of the UK market, British train services, and bus services in Singapore.
Its UK bus services include Brighton & Hove, Plymouth Citybus, and a variety of services within London, including buses for private hire.
It says its services are “run autonomously” and “locally-branded” so that “the management teams are empowered to respond directly to the needs of the local communities they serve”.
Working in this way ensures we retain strong local expertise and can focus on the needs of customers and adapt quickly to changing conditions in local markets.
In March of this year, the company won a London Transport Award for its ‘Contribution for Sustainable Transport’.
But it’s had its troubles – and was hit quite a blow yesterday when it learned that it lost its West Midlands train services to another operator.
Go-Ahead said it was “disappointed” with the outcome, and said it had “delivered significant improvements across the entire network”, according to The Telegraph.
Meanwhile, one of its other train networks, the Southern network, has been struggling with an industrial dispute and strike action for the past year – a point that will worry potential drivers for the company’s new Dublin bus service.
Transport Minister Shane Ross told TheJournal.ie yesterday’s announcement will result in more competition in the market.
“It is only 10% so those that are worries about some sort of massive privatisation are wrong. That isn’t the intention at all. It is to improve the competition and the service to the consumer,” he said.
“All the jobs in Dublin Bus are perfectly secure, so the unions should be happy. There is no way any worker should feel threatened at all,” said Ross.
With additional reporting by Christina Finn
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Flower of Scotland should be way up that list. It’s a belter
@James Beattie: Agreed. It’d be my number 1, followed by La Marseillaise.
Ireland’s Call ? pure undiluted Muck .
Ireland’s Call is an embarrassment. Shockingly bad songwriting from the normally great Mr Coulter.
@JusticeForJoe: agreed.. technically not a national anthem either
@Fi Harte: not even technically
@JusticeForJoe: Fully agree with you.
Flower of Scotland all day long for me.
Ireland’s Call is not our, or any nation’s, national anthem. If our national team is playing they should play their own national anthem.
@Boyne Sharky: because its.not just our (Republic) national team, its a team representing the whole island.
@Barry Sorensen: We have our 32 counties represent Ireland in other sports and they use our national anthem and national flag of Ireland.
@Daniel Roche: which sports?
@OnlyHereForTheComments: Shinty-Hurling International Series, international football series.
Ireland’s Call is the worst thing to happen to the country since the Black and Tans
Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau is class.
The irish one is awful.. It More like a hoot for school boys.
The Italian one is like from a great opera. Except that it needs trained classical voices to sing and not the fans dog howling..
The Welsh one is beautiful and a billion times better then the dreadful tone deaf irish one.
Flower of Scotland should be number 2.
Ireland s call is the best we got.better than Danny boy which would put the players to sleep or 4 green fields and certainly better than the rose of Tralee. Why not the old reliable fields of athenry. We all love that one
@Michael Murray: Nothing wrong with our national anthem.
Ireland’s call is a bit cringey why not Danny boy instead
@John Byrne: Maybe cause it was written by a English man that never set foot in Ireland or maybe it’s a crap song and our national anthem is way better and should only be use for Ireland games.
@Daniel Roche: Amhrán na bhFiann is a shocking song
@John Byrne: if you think Danny boy is a great song,I’m more than happy with our national anthem.
@John Byrne: but still our National Anthem. Point missed.
@Daniel Roche: was the man not from derry who wrote this song ?
@Lee Ridley: no.
@Lee Ridley: Nope. The guy who wrote Ireland’s call, Phil Coulter, is from Derry. Danny Boy’s original title was the Londonderry Air.
I’d have both Irish anthems in 5th & 6th
Sorry, while Flower of Scotland is a good rousing anthem, the fact that it says of the English “proud Edward’s army sent them homewards to think again”.
We’ll, a few years ago, they had a chance to send them homewards without having to left a finger in the independence referendum but chose not to. So the sentiments in “Flower of Scotland ” have rung somewhat hollow ever since!
I wonder if Cork had got a mention in Irelands Call would it be a more likeable in general.
I love it.
@Brian Farrell: No,I’m fairly sure they just don’t like it like the majority of this country.
Flower of Scotland is even worse than Ireland’s call. I’d rate the Welsh anthem after the French and Italian, and above the other three
When Flower of Scotland is played in Murrayfield against England, you would almost feel like jumping on the next plane and invading England yourself! Ireland’s call was made to win awards – not to be sung by burly Irish rugby players! They had a great chance to have a rousing going into battle anthem and instead it’s more like a lament!
What drugs are ye on and can I have some??
ireland’s call is an unremarkable turd, god save the queen an honourable second to the marseillaise
Eimear Considine’s point about the key change in Ireland’s call is valid. When you are not musically trained it can lead to horrendous results. La Marseillaise which has 2 key changes is regularly destroyed by well-meaning French supporters and athletes.
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