30 July 2001

PRESS RELEASE

GREEN PARTY CALLS FOR HEADS TO ROLL IN DART MANAGEMENT

Councillor Ciarán Cuffe of the Green Party has called for a fundamental review of the management of Suburban Rail services after DART services were halted again yesterday. This latest incident was blamed by Irish Rail on a fire at a switching house in Blackrock, Co. Dublin. In recent months suburban rail services have been cancelled or delayed on many occasions. Reasons cited for problems range from a fire in a North Dublin storage Depot to strikes by the drivers of DART trains.

“There is widespread dissatisfaction with DART services,” stated Dun Laoghaire Dáil Candidate Ciarán Cuffe, “Changes are needed to ensure a reliable service. If we are encouraging people to use public transport we must ensure that it is efficient, safe and reliable. At this stage many people are choosing to drive to and from work, as they cannot be guaranteed that the DART will operate.

“The Green Party is encouraging people to write or email their concerns to the management of Suburban Rail Services. People can visit the web site to read the horror stories compiled by DART users. They can also send their views to Irish Rail by e-mailing them to . Web sites like this are a sign of concerns that commuters have about DART.

The Green Party calls on Iarnród Éireann to:

Fundamentally review the management and maintenance of DART Services

Refund fares to anyone whose journey is delayed by over fifteen minutes

Produce a timetable and programme for making all stations accessible to people with disabilities

Revise and improve their Customer Services Charter

Set up a customers users group to assist in improving DART service

The litany of delays and breakdowns over recent weeks raises doubts and concerns about routine maintenance and management ranging from fire safety to union-management relationships.

“DART is not even reaching its own target that 95% of all DART trains will arrive in the City Centre within 10 minutes of the published time. They are down to 93% in the first six months of the year, and it appears that the figure has fallen further in recent weeks.”

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For further information contact:

Ciarán Cuffe, Dáil Candidate         677 3372               087 265 2075

Stephen Rawson, Press Officer             618 4088   087 235 7551