Bus operator Go-Ahead hit with fines of more than €3m last year

Bus operator Go-Ahead Ireland now has close to a full complement of drivers after it was hit with more than €3 million worth of performance-related fines last year that it blamed on staff shortages.

In 2021, the National Transport Authority (NTA) imposed fines on Go-Ahead related to services it operated of €437,057. That figure rose to €3,050,839 in 2022, which represented an increase of just under 600 per cent in one year alone.

The fine it received in 2022 would have almost wiped out the net profit of €3.1 million it generated in 2021, which is detailed in the company’s most recently filed set of accounts.

[ Bus operator Go-Ahead said housing shortage was ‘huge barrier’ for drivers ]

The company operates 24 Dublin city bus routes, having taken them over from Dublin Bus in 2018. That contract, which was the first open tender process run by the NTA, comprises 24 routes, 125 buses and approximately 350 drivers.

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It was also awarded a second contract to run six routes linking Dublin to major commuter towns in Offaly, Laois, Kildare and Meath. That contract went live in December 2019, and comprises six routes and approximately 80 drivers.

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The NTA levies fines against companies under contract for shortcomings on reliability, punctuality and service quality. Among other things, groups need to operate 98 per cent of scheduled kilometres to avoid being fined.

Sinn Féin transport spokesman Martin Kenny said the figures substantiate issues raised by “many concerned commuters” who rely on the services.

“When these contracts were awarded to Go-Ahead Ireland, they were awarded on the basis that they could meet factors set out by the NTA,” he said.

“What I am hearing from commuters is that there are pockets of the Go-Ahead service which are unreliable and chronically inconsistent.

“I am advised that the main difficulty faced by Go-Ahead is a backlog in licences being issued to drivers.

[ Go-Ahead bus contract extended despite complaints and dissatisfaction with service ]

“This is having a knock-on effect on reliability of service, because if a driver is unable to attend for work, a service is subsequently cancelled, as Go-Ahead simply do not have a large pool of drivers.”

Mr Kenny added that it was “vital” that Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan “immediately investigates” the factors leading to service disruptions.

In response to questions, Go-Ahead said it received performance-related fines between 2019 and 2022 in line with other operators across the public transport sector.

“There were a number of external and operational issues related to these fines, and are still relevant today for all bus operators in Ireland,” it said.

The issues it highlighted were “a driver shortage across the public transport sector in Ireland that impacted all operators”.

It also pointed to “a general ongoing issue external to the Go-Ahead Ireland training process, related to a backlog in the allocation of driver certification as required by all bus drivers in Ireland that impacted the number of drivers available to operate”.

It said it launched a “significant driver recruitment campaign” last year “that has been very successful”.

“We are close to a full driver complement, and currently our recruitment is ongoing to meet existing service requirements and the natural turnover of staff, as well as future requirements across our services,” the company added.