Public Meeting about the removal of 48a Bus service

dublin | miscellaneous | event notice Thursday February 03, 2005 18:00 by Terry - None

Wednesday 9 February at 8 pm

Dom Marmion Centre beside Dundrum Gym. It is the building with the fence around it, in the carpark at the back of Dundrum Holy Cross School. This is the carpark which is accessed from the Sandyford Road.

DUBLIN BUS has just announced its plans to end the 48A bus service from Ballinteer to the city centre. The existence of the LUAS and claims of falling numbers using the bus service are cited as the reason.

This is outrageous. When the Luas was constructed it was presented to us as an addition to the existing public transport service not a replacement. The removal of the 48A service makes no sense.

1. The Luas does not serve Ballinteer. For many it is more than a twenty minute walk to the nearest station. Even if feeder buses are provided, many people would rather take one direct mode of transport into town. The Luas also only brings passengers as far as Stephens Green.

2. Whatever extension to the 14/14A service is envisaged (to compensate for the loss of the 48A) it will mean a longer journey into town, through traffic blackspots and will inevitably leave some areas that are currently well served by buses without an adequate service. It also leaves the Ballinteer area without a bus service to town through Milltown and Ranelagh. Walking a distance to a bus stop may not seem a problem to Dublin Bus executives or government ministers but to anyone who is old or infirm or who has small children, it can spell huge hardship.

3.The Luas fare is significantly more expensive than the comparable bus fare. The Luas is also run by a private company. We are all compliant tax payers who have a right to public services yet this will be stolen from under our noses. Is this just another form of a sneaking, creeping privatisation? Is this an attempt to increase LUAS passenger figures to boost profits further for Connex, the company that runs it?

4. The Dundrum Shopping Centre opens in March. It is expected that people from all over Dublin will flock to it. Won't more buses, not less, be needed to facilitate shoppers? Isn't it strange that Dublin Bus is not even going to wait and see what impact this will have before they cut a service. The level of house and apartment building is also unprecedented in the area. Thousands more people will need access to public transport. Cuts in services make absolutely no sense

We need to organise to stop this attack on our bus service. This area has few enough facilities as it stands. People in the area are already fighting to have our public swimming pool reopened. We need to make a stand on this issue too. Come to the public meeting in the Dom Marmion Centre beside Dundrum Gym on Wednesday 9 February at 8pm and make it clear to Dublin Dus and local politicians that we will not stand idly by and allow this to happen.

PUBLIC MEETING

Wednesday 9 February at 8 pm

Dom Marmion Centre beside Dundrum Gym.

Speakers include Dublin Bus workers and local campaigners

Contact Deirdre Cronin at 087 665 0442 for more information