Dublin Bus strike: Illegal to allow private cars use bus lanes, says Ross

It would be illegal to allow commuters to use bus lanes during the forthcoming Dublin Bus strike, the Minister for Transport has said.

Speaking on Wednesday morning, in advance of Dublin Bus services stopping at 9pm ahead of a 48-hour bus strike in the capital, Shane Ross said they had looked at "the bus lane issue".

Mr Ross said his advice was that allowing private cars to use bus lanes would be illegal.

About 400,000 people face having their travel plans disrupted as a result of strike action by staff over pay.

Mr Ross appealed to both sides “at the 11th hour to get talking again”.

“I think the only way this strike can be sorted is that the two sides get together across the table again and discuss the settlement,” he said.

“The Government is not going to be a soft touch for either management or unions and people shouldn’t think that it will be.”

Asked if management hands were tied in negotiations, he said the dispute was between the management and the unions.

“It would be absolutely wrong for me to give any impression that the State is going to use its cheque book to sort out this problem,” he said.

The Minister also said he was open to meeting the unions involved in the strike, Siptu and the NBRU.

“The unions haven’t requested to meet me at all. If they wish to meet me I’ll certainly consider it. I’ve no reason for not meeting them,” he said.

Asked whether he regretted describing his transport portfolio as “a doddle”, he said he did not regret it.

“Because when I said that, I’d been told that sport would be the kind of good news story and that transport would be much more difficult and sport turned out to be a really difficult part of the portfolio,” he said.

Two further 48-hour work stoppages are scheduled to take place as part of the dispute later this month.

The National Transport Authority said last night that Dublin Bus would face financial penalties of €200,000 per day - essentially deductions from its annual State subvention - if the strikes went ahead.

Dublin Bus has already said the six days of planned stoppages could cost it €3.6 million in total.

The company said its Ghostbus tour would be cancelled while no Dublin Bus-operated sightseeing tours or Airlink services would operate tomorrow or Friday.

Nitelink services will not operate on Friday night into Saturday morning, the company said.

Fianna Fáil spokesman for Transport, Deputy Robert Troy, said the Government must step up to the mark and provide funding to allow an expansion of the Dublin Bikes network.

“This Government and Minister Ross in particular, have taken a laissez-faire approach to Dublin’s public transport problems, which have a significant negative effect on commuters,” he said.

“I believe we need to take a much more active interest in improving public transport in the city and in the cycling infrastructure in particular.”