The Dublin Chamber of Commerce has called on the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, to grant licences for private bus operators for next week and to review legislation to allow competition.
At a press conference, the Chamber president, Mr David Manley, said Ms O'Rourke had accelerated the pace of reform in the telecoms market. He said she should take similar action with transport.
The 1932 Road Transport Act, which precludes private operators from competing with public transport bodies, is under review by the Department of Public Enterprise but alterations to the law will take up to two years.
Mr Manley said Ms O'Rourke should fast-track the review and allow for legislation which would open up Dublin's bus service.
Mr Manley also called for a public transport regulator to determine the appropriate service standards required of the private and public operators. When private operators were allowed into the market, there should be no cherry-picking of the best services, he added.
Mr Ciaran Conlon, the Chamber's campaigns manager, said the Minister could grant licences to private operators by next week as the 1932 Act allowed her to grant or refuse licences at her discretion. "We can't afford to be held to ransom by a small section of people," he said.
Mr Conlon said private operators were ready to provide services as over 200 applications across the State had been sent to the Minister for licences.
Mr John O'Sullivan, owner of Aircoach, a private service which operates between Dublin Airport and south of the city, said he had sought over 20 more licences to provide more services but had been held back by the law. He had ordered 30 more buses but that order had been put on hold.
Mr Paul Morton, who runs a private bus service from Celbridge to Dublin, has been operating for 12 years. He said private operators providing services should be allowed operate routes in the same manner as CIE. "There should be a level playing field."