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Dublin Live
3 days ago
- Dublin Live
Gardai to conduct spot checks on Dublin buses this bank holiday weekend to support 'safety of customers'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Gardai will conduct spot checks on Dublin buses this bank holiday weekend in order to support the "safety of our customers and employees". Officers will board board Dublin Bus services as part of a new series of 'Days of Action' across the fleet which will start this weekend and continue over the coming weeks. The new plan is part of a joint commitment by Dublin Bus, An Garda Síochána, and the Department of Transport to improve safety on public transport. This includes a dedicated public transport wide day on June 10, which will involve increased Garda presence across key routes and areas of the city. The Garda Days of Action are planned to continue throughout 2025, with the dates, times, and loations to be decided by feedback on the ground. Reported incidents of anti-social behaviour aboard Dublin Bus services have more than doubled from 494 to 1053 per year in the last five years. The initiative, Dublin Bus say, aims to "deter anti-social behaviour, support drivers and enhance the experience for people using public transport across the city and Greater Dublin Area". Chief Executive of Dublin Bus Billy Hann said: 'At Dublin Bus, the safety of our customers and employees is our top priority. The Garda Days of Action reflect our strong and ongoing partnership with An Garda Síochána, and we welcome their continued support in ensuring a safe and respectful environment on board our services. "Our Safer Journeys Team is a key part of this safety focus, and we remain committed to working with Government and the Gardaí to enhance safety and security across the public transport network." Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien added: "A reliable and safe public transport network is fundamental to a functioning city. "That means visibility, presence and cooperation. I fully support these Garda-led Days of Action and commend Dublin Bus for the proactive way it has approached safety through initiatives like the Safer Journeys Team. "This is what joined-up public service delivery looks like — practical, responsive and focused on people." Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Irish Examiner
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Siptu welcomes Dublin Bus support for transport police after knife threat to driver
Trade union Siptu has welcomed the backing of Dublin Bus for a dedicated transport police in Ireland, a week after a bus driver in the city was threatened by a man holding what appeared to be a handgun. The union had instructed its members to withdraw services in the Mountjoy Square area from 7pm in the wake of the incident last Friday, and said that it hoped that such a shocking incident would mark a 'turning point' in the debate around a transport police. 'It must no longer be about whether we should have a transport policing service but rather how it will be established and operated,' sector organiser John Murphy said. 'In relation to Mountjoy Square, the suspension of bus services in that area after 7pm will continue until all the necessary measures are in place to improve security for our members.' It comes after Dublin Bus CEO Billy Hann was quoted in the Irish Times as saying his organised backed a transport police and had lobbied for its creation. Although the Garda commissioner and ministers had long ruled it out, including then-transport minister Eamon Ryan as recently as last October, the Government has said it would press ahead with creating a transport police. In February, justice minister Jim O'Callaghan said the proposed transport police was a priority and emphasised that it must have powers of arrest. 'The reason why we want to bring it forward is that there were experiences, not just in Dublin but throughout the country, of people finding themselves on public transport and not feeling safe, particularly late in the evening,' he said. However, no timeline was set for its introduction. Siptu's Dublin Bus representative and national executive council member Stephen Millan said the union had put forward comprehensive proposals around a transport police service which were then adopted by political parties and included in the Programme for Government. 'It is most welcome that Dublin Bus management announced publicly yesterday that it also supports the establishment of a dedicated transport policing service,' he said. 'The need for a transport policing service based on international best practice is a very real one. We look forward to working with all stakeholders to make it a reality in as short a timeframe as possible.' Mr Murphy added that the volume of incidents reported to Dublin Bus has doubled since the pandemic. 'Our own research in the Respect Transport Workers campaign surveys confirms this increased threat to our members working on buses, trains and other forms of public transport,' he said. Read More Assault of Limerick bus driver underlines need for dedicated transport police, union says
Irish Times
22-04-2025
- Irish Times
Anti-social incidents on Dublin Bus more than double since before pandemic, says chief executive
A significant increase in anti-social behaviour on the capital's buses, including violent and racist threats, mirrors a growing trend in the city, Dublin Bus chief executive has said. Billy Hann was speaking after a Dublin Bus driver was threatened with a suspected handgun on Mountjoy Square in the city centre on Friday night. Reports of anti-social behaviour on the Dublin Bus network have more than doubled since before the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2019, there were 494 reported incidents while last year there were 1,053. 'When you look at anti-social behaviour on our network ... it's a microcosm of what's going on in society,' said Mr Hann. READ MORE The sharp increase since 2019 is 'reflective of what's going on on the streets of Dublin', he said. He said it is important to note that the company provided 159 million passenger journeys last year and reports of violence or threatening incidents are tiny in comparison. 'But we would rather have none,' he said. Mr Hann, who took over as chief executive in 2022, said the 'vast majority of incidents are 'low level' but that there has been several serious incidents like Mountjoy Square. 'We have seen full assaults on drivers in the past. That doesn't happen every day, thankfully. We have drivers being verbally abused from time to time, being spat at, racial abuse, all the spectrum of anti-social behaviour. But it is spread across a wide spectrum of various different issues and problems.' Regarding racial abuse, Mr Hann said Dublin Bus employs people from more than 85 countries. 'That alone is going to increase the amount of racial abuse you're going to have. Is it a major issue? I don't think so. Is it an issue? Absolutely. There would be a certain amount of it in the background.' Mr Hann pointed to several recent initiatives to increase safety on the transport network, which is the biggest in the State. These include the deployment last October of 'Safer Journey Teams', comprising security personnel who patrol 'hot spots' for anti-social behaviour. Since Friday's incident, a new one of these teams has focused its activities around Mountjoy Square, said Mr Hann. He said Dublin Bus has also been lobbying for the establishment of a dedicated transport police with powers of arrest. Gardaí are continuing to investigate the incident on Friday night when a driver disturbed someone who appeared to be attempting to steal items from the number 13 bus, which was out of service at the time. After getting off the bus, the person pointed the suspected gun at the driver and threatened to kill him. He left the scene, leaving the driver 'shocked and upset', said a union official.
