10 January 2001

---

Dublin Bus urged to suspend tonight's withdrawal of full Tallaght service

Sinn Fein South Dublin County Councillor Seán Crowe has called on Dublin Bus staff to suspend their withdrawal of services beyond The Square, Tallaght, after a number of attacks on buses and bus drivers.

Dublin Bus have said that buses will halt at The Square, Tallaght, after 6pm tonight (Wednesday).  This will also affect the Nitelink service.

Cllr Crowe urged Dublin Bus staff to maintain the service with increased security until a meeting between Dublin Bus, local authorities and community groups is held in the coming days to discuss a long-term strategy to prevent the attacks.

Cllr Crowe said consideration should be given to bringing back conductors on some routes to help drivers.  He added that South Dublin County Council should ensure that the rough barriers it erects to prevent illegal access to public land do not provide ammunition for stone-throwing gangs.

The Sinn Fein councillor said that the halting of services is regrettable and will hurt bus users, not the gangs who have put the buses off the road.  ``I can appreciate and I share the drivers' concern for their safety and this must be urgently addressed.  But cutting services will only inconvenience people who depend on buses, particularly families with children and the elderly.  It will certainly not affect the anti-social gangs responsible.''

---

Sinn Fein Press Office, 44 Parnell Square, Dublin 1
Tel: +353-1-8726100 and +353-1-8726839   ·   Fax +353-1-8733074
E-mail: sinnfein@irlnet.com   ·   Website: http://www.sinnfein.org

---

Sinn Fein   ·   Sinn Fein Documents

---