Privatisation, well well well, just how is privatisation going to make my life as a bus user better? will private operators provide a quicker more frequent service? I think not. If I, and I am a “lay” person can see that this is plan is inherently flawed, let me give you an example, if I owned ten busses and I had to make profit, I would only work my busses at a peak time, I would not run empty busses up and down a road collecting people with free passes (o.a.p's, social welfare and the like) unless someone was going to pay me, i.e. in the form of a subsidies from the government and the reason the government is getting rid of Dublin bus is because it has to subsidise it. So this would seem to be a catch 22 situation, either we keep a regular service from Dublin bus, or we subsidise a private person to do exactly the same job Dublin bus is doing, the only difference is fat cat's and share holders will profit from our misery, now call me a pessimist but I see Dublin bus becoming a service to provide for our workforce who use the bus between 7am and 9.30 am and again between 4.30pm and 7 p.m and to hell with older and unemployed people… they can walk or pay a full fare. In conclusion I want a service for my community, everybody, school kids the old and those who can't afford to run a car, I personally think Dublin bus could be made better, localised control of each garage instead of having one big head office that has not got a clue what goes on at garage level, more flexible time tables with the ability to add or withdraw extra busses as a road need's them, and some kind of incentive for drivers to make sure correct fares are made and journey times are met, I'm sure I could go on all night ranting and raving but it look's like privation is a fore gone conclusion and the share holders will be calling the shots,…………………… maybe it wont be so bad, and maybe saddam wasn't such a bad ol' skin!!! Ha ha ha.
[posted by: dave]
BUSRAGE Discussions » Deregulation
Privatisation,
(4 posts)-
Posted 5 years ago #
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Just to clarify: None of these private operators will be "operating out of the fare-box", so to speak--they will certainly be getting their share of subsidy from the government, otherwise these bus operators, like you pointed out, would only serve those best able to pay.
This measure is merely a cost-cutting bid from the government, simply to eliminate personnel positions and get out of paying stuff like medical and old-age-pension insurance. At least, that's how I perceive it. They will still have to support bare operating costs *plus*, perhaps, maintenance/repair costs, of these buses.
Posted 5 years ago # -
While many of us gripe about various aspects of the operations of Dublin Bus, my own view is that privatisation will lead to an even poorer level of service and to a more disjointed and less easily managed operation in the long run. 'Service' is surely the appropriate word here.
As a newcomer to this Discussion Board, I am surprised that there is not a second petition up for signing, namely that we as citizens of Dublin oppose the current privatisation plans.
For those who focus on the fact that Dublin Bus is loss making and on the interpreation that this surely means that something serious is amiss, it is worth pointing out that the company recoups a greater proportion of its running costs from the farebox than many urban bus operations in cities of similar size range.
[posted by: James]Posted 5 years ago # -
give alan martin the 220 route as DB has not work them properlyPosted 5 years ago #
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