Doherty attacks 'blue flu' bus disruptions
Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection and local TD Regina Doherty has spoken of her frustration at the lack of progress being made in resolving the ‘blue flu’ that she claims is disrupting Bus Éireann services in Meath.
The Minister said: “I can’t help thinking that if this was a national crisis, it would be solved by now. But because the effects of the dispute are felt by residents of a single county, and that county isn’t Dublin, it doesn’t get the attention it deserves."
Last week Minister Doherty met with two key officials at the National Transport Authority (NTA), Tim Gaston, Director of Public Transport Services, and Michael Warnock-Smith, Head of Public Transport Regulation Division. “While it was a helpful and cordial meeting,” said Minister Doherty, “I feel no closer to a resolution.”
According to Minister Doherty, the NTA has agreed to conduct a survey to ascertain the extent of service disruption.
“It is proving difficult to determine even the extent of the disruption. Neither Bus Éireann nor the NTA have been able to tell me how many services per day are being disrupted. At present, the most reliable accounts are coming directly from passengers through my Facebook page. It’s a big help, but it’s hardly an ideal situation.
“Recently, I wrote to the NBRU and SIPTU asking for their assistance in bringing the problems to an end. They have not replied, except to issue statements contradicting my use of the term ‘industrial dispute’. I made my position clear, saying: ‘I am indifferent as to whether the unions want to understand this as an unofficial dispute, or a bad dose of the flu in Co Meath.’
“Since the unions haven’t helped to bring the situation to an end, we might as well call it what it is, a blue flu,” said Minister Doherty.
“As I write, I am reading a notice from Bus Éireann saying there are disruptions to route 109A, which affects people in Kells, Navan, Dunshaughlin, Ratoath and Ashbourne. These are people going to work, going to college, older people staying active, and people going to the airport.
“At the weekend, another notice from Bus Éireann said they had cancelled services in the east affecting routes NX, 103, 109, 109A and the 133. All of this in a dispute that dare not speak its name,” said the Meath East TD.
Minister Doherty urged bus users to continue to update her Facebook page with information about services that aren’t – and are – being provided, so she can cross-check this information with official data. "I will continue to work on this until the disruption to services comes to an end," she concluded.