Luas bus service runs into licensing problem

Proposals to link up Dublin's two Luas lines with a dedicated bus service in time for Christmas have run into licensing difficulties.

The Minister for Transport, Mr Cullen, is anxious to include the bus link as part of a series of measures to manage traffic congestion this December.

He is currently studying proposals from Dublin Bus to provide an "Imp" service in Luas livery which would run every 10 minutes between St Stephen's Green and O'Connell Street.

It is envisaged the service would run from the Green down Dawson Street, along Suffolk Street and Westmoreland Street, and on to O'Connell Street, returning by lower Grafton Street and Kildare Street.

It would directly link the southside shopping areas around St Stephen's Green and Grafton Street with north-of-the-river centres such as the Jervis Street Centre, the Ilac Centre and Henry Street.

However, Dublin Bus requires a licence from the Department to operate the service. The Department's difficulty is that it has already licensed a private bus operator to operate services which encompass this route.

By introducing new operations on the route the Department may be leaving itself open to legal challenge, particularly as Dublin Bus also has existing routes which cover the same ground.

The private operator on the route, the Dundrum, Co Dublin-based Mortons, told The Irish Times yesterday that if the licence was awarded to Dublin Bus it would object.

Mr Paul Morton said that the objection would be based on the company's wider argument with the State-owned bus company over State subsidies.

"We haven't asked for the Luas connector and good luck to any private operator who gets the route. But if they are going to give it out to CIÉ with their NDP [National Development Plan-financed] buses, then, yes, we would object very strongly.

"They would need a dedicated service, they would need three buses, in Luas livery - essentially it would be a Connex operation, operating off Luas tickets," he added.

However, Mr Morton said he doubted if the service would be commercially viable even during the Christmas rush, pointing out that many existing bus routes, including two provided by his own company, encompass the Luas link.

And he doubted if such a service could be running before Christmas given that "we have had an application in for a Luas connector between Tallaght and City West for six weeks and have heard nothing".

A spokesman for Mr Cullen said the Minister was keen to sort out the difficulties in the interests of Dublin's shoppers and business people.