Dublin People - Bus services resume after attacks

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Bus services resume after attacks

Thursday, 31 July 2008

A Dublin Bus driver has spoken of the litany of anti-social behaviour - including physical and verbal assaults, stone throwing and drug taking - that culminated in staff at the semi-State company curtailing services on one of the city’s most infamous routes.
Drivers were forced to stop evening services on two routes in North Clondalkin for almost a fortnight because of anti-social behaviour.
However, they subsequently agreed to restore services after they were promised increased Garda presence on the routes.
Neilstown Road, Ronanstown and the Fonthill Road had not been served after 7.30pm by the 78A bus between Dublin city centre and Liffey Valley Shopping Centre between July 5 and July 18.
Evening services were diverted after an increasing number of incidents in which stones were thrown at buses resulting in broken windows.
A bus driver on the 78A route, who did not wish to be named, told Southside People that in a two week period at the end of June the number of stone attacks on buses on the route had gone “off the scale”.
He also spoke of a number of serious assaults on passengers and staff.
“The numbers for the breakages of windows during the second half of June went off the scale altogether,” he said. “During a 16 day period there were 29 broken windows plus two assaults on staff.
“It’s totally unacceptable in this day and age to go to work and be subjected to those conditions.
“There is a lot of other unacceptable behaviour, like smoking drugs,” he added. “We have also had serious assaults on buses involving passengers. I have spoken to a driver on this route where one passenger on his bus was attacked by another with a knife. Stitches were required and the victim was cut up quite badly.”
The driver insisted Dublin Bus statistics backed up claims that the 78A route was one of the most troubled in the city.
“This is one of the worst affected routes in Dublin by anti-social behaviour and the figures are there to back that up,” he said. “We have had to deal with the window breaking and stone throwing on a daily basis.
“Every time we get a broken window the drivers have to fill out forms and every time we call the gardaí we have to fill out forms. If you talk to any bus driver they will tell you the 78A has a bad reputation.”
He also said that since the reinstatement of the service on Friday, July 18, bus drivers have been satisfied that assurances given to them by gardaí - including guarantees for an increased Garda presence in the areas affected by the anti-social behaviour - have so far been met.
He added that Dublin Bus had also put in place measures to improve the situation, which included a “zero tolerance unit”, which is carrying out spot checks on the route.
However, he said drivers would review the situation this week to decide whether the new measures were adequate.
“We want to hand the road back to the people who use the route,” he added.
Martin Feary of the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) said: “The drivers are happy with the response from the gardaí and Dublin Bus but what they are really looking for is a long-term solution like they have in Tallaght and Finglas.
“There, they have a forum where they meet once a month and representatives of the different residents’ associations attend the meetings as well as the gardaí.
“They talk about the problems in their area such as anti-social behaviour. Representatives from the council also attend, as well as local TDs.
“This forum has worked in Tallaght,” he added. “Last month there were no windows broken in Tallaght. There is also a follow up to any incidences after the meetings.
A spokesman for Dublin Bus said services on the route were restored after concerted efforts by their staff, local gardaí and the North Clondalkin Development Association.
“It is always through a combination of community leaders, the guards and ourselves that we deal with this,” the spokesman said. “Due to the positive results we received from working with North Clondalkin, we are currently looking into establishing a community forum like the one in existence in Tallaght.”

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