15/01/2014

Govt Bus Route Privatisation Plan Condemned

A government proposal to privatise some Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus routes has been condemned by Sinn Féin.

Ahead of a meeting by the Oireachtas Committee on Transport to discuss the proposed privatisations, the party's transport spokesperson Dessie Ellis described the plan as a clear case of private profit being prioritised over public good and a cowardly act by any government.

"Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus are essential companies for the state. They provide invaluable service to communities across the capital and the state," Ellis said.

Adding: "While both companies have struggled to make ends meet over recent years due to the decrease in commuter numbers they have in the past been profitable and with sufficient support and good management they can be again. They are worth considerably more to the public than the funding provided by the state.

(MH/CD)

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