Ghost buses tracking system
Jennifer Whitmore welcomed Dublin Bus's new tracking system and asked why a similar real-time system was not required of Go Ahead Ireland. The Taoiseach said the idea was positive and he would speak to the Minister about extending it.
Dublin Bus recently announced that it is going to introduce a bus tracking system to help it combat the issue of ghost buses. This will be really welcome because it will bring transparency and real-time information to bus users. Why is Go Ahead Ireland not required to implement a similar system? It would be incredibly useful. In my constituency of Wicklow, since Go Ahead Ireland was awarded contracts, we have had nothing but problems with buses not showing up, buses driving past people, buses not actually going on their required routes, or people with disabilities not being able to access the bus because the ramps do not work. It is problem after problem. I hear about this from people every week. It has not been resolved. I have spoken to Go Ahead Ireland about it. I have spoken to the Minister for Transport and the National Transport Authority and we are just not seeing improvement in the service. Having some level of transparency such as a bus-tracking system would absolutely shine a light on the difficulties people in Wicklow are facing.
Comment on this
I thank the Deputy for raising that. That is an innovative approach and it is positive to develop a bus-tracking system. The Deputy is saying that not only should it be applied to Bus Éireann but to Go Ahead Ireland as well. I will speak to the Minister to ascertain from him the background to this and how it is going to evolve. I presume that, in the fullness of time, it will have to apply to all providers.