Luas strike: company to provide bus service on St Patrick’s Day

The company that runs the Luas tram system will provide replacement buses on St Patrick’s Day to transport passengers affected by a planned strike.

Siptu branch organiser Owen Reidy said the move was “provocative” and will make a bad situation worse.

The bus services will operate from Luas park and ride stops on the red and green lines into Dublin city centre between 7.30am and 7pm.

Reacting to the announcement, Siptu branch organiser Owen Reidy said it would add to the frustration of drivers who are already angry because Transdev will not talk to them.

Talks between management and SIPTU took place at the Workplace Relations Commission on Friday - but without the driver grade who served notice of additional strike action on Thursday.

Emerging from the talks, Mr Reidy said: “I have said a lot about the whole driver situation this morning. It is really regrettable that the employer won’t talk to them. As long as that continues, this industrial action will continue.”

Commenting on the replacement bus service, a Transdev spokeswoman said passengers should allow extra time for journeys because the buses are likely to be a lot slower than the Luas.

They will run every 10 minutes between 7.30am to 12pm; every 15 minutes between 12pma and 2pm and every 10 minutes between 2pm and 7pm.

Luas pre-paid tickets and Leap cards will be accepted on the buses while bus tickets can also be purchased at Luas/bus stops. A single adult ticket is €2 and a single child ticket is €1.

On the red line, buses will depart Cheeverstown and Red Cow park and ride stops and travel directly to Wolfe Tone Quay (beside Croppies Acre Memorial Park).

Outbound buses will depart Victoria Quay (between Guinness entrance and Heuston Station) and travel directly to Red Cow and Cheeverstown park and ride stops.

On the green line, buses will depart Carrickmines, Stillorgan and Balally park and ride stops and travel directly to Adelaide Road (close to Starbucks).

Outbound buses will depart Hatch Street Upper (near Dublin Bikes station) and travel directly to Balally, Stillorgan and Carrickmines park and ride stops.

The buses are private coaches which have been secured from independent operators. There is no school run on St Patrick’s Day, meaning there is a greater availability of private coaches.

Replacement buses will be provided only on St Patrick’s Day and not for other strike days.

Meanwhile the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) on Friday night backed the Luas workers .

In a letter to Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe the NBRU criticised Transdev for seeking to break a legitimate industrial dispute using “scab Labour”.

It expressed concern that similar tactics could be adopted in disputes in other sectors.