Concern as National Transport Authority confirm they are proposing to privatise the 133 Bus Éireann route

Wicklow Sinn Féin TD John Brady has expressed serious concerns about the 133 Bus Eireann route after the NTA confirmed to him that the route is on a list that may be privatised. The NTA have informed the Sinn Féin TD that they are proposing that route 133 be included in a package that will be removed for Bus Éireann’s contract and be competitively tendered

Speaking after receiving the news from the NTA Teachta Brady said "I am very concerned for the future of the 133 Bus Éireann route. In correspondence I received back from the NTA they inform me that they are proposing that the 133 be included in a package of routes that will be removed from Bus Eireann’s contract and competitively tendered”.

“In October the NTA said that they intended on to tendering out another 10% of Bus Éireann routes with the intention of Direct Award Contracts for public bus services from December 2019”.

“Recently we have seen the straightening out of the 133 route, the bus no longer goes through Bray town centre, nor does it stop at places like Barrindarrig. I warned that the changes were being made so the route would be more attractive for the private sector; it certainly wasn’t done for the public. Unfortunately that prediction now seems to be becoming a reality”.

Wicklow East Sinn Féin representative Muireann Dalton said "Handing over millions of taxpayers money to private Corporations whilst at the same time paying workers a pittance is nothing less than a State supported race to the bottom".

“The determination of the NTA, supported by the Thatcherite ideology of the Fine Gael-led Government, to aggressively attack semi-state jobs cannot be allowed to go unchallenged by those from across the political spectrum that profess to oppose the privatisation of State services”.

Teachta Brady said “Sinn Féin is completely opposed to the privatisation of our public transport services. As part of the consultation process which is currently underway we submitted a comprehensive submission outlining our opposition to the privatisation of more Bus Éireann routes”,

Muireann Dalton concluded “I have organised a public meeting to oppose the privatisation of the 133 route and to discuss other issues within our public transport service. It will take place on Thursday 22nd November in the Parkview Hotel in Newtownmountkennedy at 7pm and all are welcome”.