Perhaps it best left alone as it rather suddenly appeared in the aftermath of the opening of the DPAT and only after some quite unusual local political rumblings.

Of substantially more importance is the refusal of the Department of Transport to sanction a licence for the 141 route.
This was (is) to be a full service route from Swords to Rathmines via the Swords Road QBC.

The Department`s initial reason for the refusal of a licence was (is) their belief that it could comete with the Swords Express.

The Department (or sections thereof) appear unaware as to the distinction between a Limited Stop non-accessible EXPRESS Coach service and a Fully Accessible stage-carriage service.

Sadly for commuters from Swords and environs this Departmental ignorance is preventing a real improvement to the area`s Public Transport.

There is little or no actual crossover between the Swords Express (Eirebus) and Bus Atha Cliath services.
The only positive way out of this is to FORCE the Department to accept the wisdom of a massive increase in Public Bus Services to North County Dublin…without recourse to worrying about Eirebus`s financial health !!

It`s interesting,if a wee bit OT,that the Legal Profession remains a bastion of uncompetitive and outdated procedures whilst it`m members wax lyrical on behalf of the Swords Expresses and Circle Lines of the world.

However,it appears as if the current flurry of legality has more to do with the sudden realization in the wake of the Patton Flyer debacle that the Department and it`s senior administrators simply do not have a breeze as to what to do in the current situation.

So essentially what we now have is a Power Struggle with far reaching political and social implications,none of which will offer any solace to people actually wanting to make that modal switch to PROPERLY organized and operated Public Transport.

With a Minister who appears incapable of forming an opinion on anything without first commissioning a study or report on it and whatever ramifications may or may not derive from it.
This lad is in turn advised by a selection of Senior Civil Servants who would be quite at home in a Charles Dickens novel.

Antoin,Paul Morton,Bartons,McConns and all the other circling flesh eaters may well have their short feast on the carcass of what they percieve to be their tormentor,but once the skeleton of Dublin Bus is plucked bare the predators which will emerge from the long grass will make Dublin Bus seem like a pussycat.

But of course the new predator will perhaps come with cheque book in hand to buy up a few oul route licences that are lying around…???

Interesting times ahead but not ones where Public Service,let alone interest will be to the fore !

Personally, I feel that the EU forced this on member states in order to create chaos and tie up national courts while they pursue their agenda of federalisation and power consolidation. But that’s a matter for another type of forum, perhaps.

b. It’s not fair competition. Dublin Bus gets massive subsidies. Swords Express gets nothing.

c. Many of DB’s bus stops are very close to Swords Express stops. Their new routes run along routes that we have had applications in for for a long time, and that we want to provide all-day services on.

d. Predatory behaviour is never legal and is never fair competition.