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Bus drivers have said there was “chaos” on some bus services in Dublin on Thursday as an excessive number of passengers sought to travel on services, their union has said.
The National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) said its members experienced difficulties trying to accommodate passengers in services on various routes after the new 25 percent capacity restriction on Level 5 took effect at the midnight.
NBRU Secretary General Dermot O’Leary said there have been “several tight spots and places where passengers have tried to access Dublin bus services in large numbers.”
“Some drivers describe it as ‘chaos’ as an excessive number of commuters try to board buses on a variety of routes. Some Bus Éireann services have also experienced capacity limitations where demand has exceeded reduced Level 5 capacity. “
“Fortunately (at least so far) no confrontation or conflict has been reported, although we are well aware that frustration can lead to such a scenario. We cannot blame the passengers, striving as they are, to arrive at their workplace, at a time that suits their particular needs, rather than when services can or can be scheduled.
O’Leary said that since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic his union had been calling for “that a plan be put in place to accommodate those who must travel for essential reasons and that they also be given a clear outline of how capacity restrictions must be watched ”.
He said that NBRU had suggested to the Oireachtas that the opening and closing times of schools, work and retail be staggered to manage the demand for public transport.
“It is not fair or sustainable that those who operate the service (drivers) and those who use the service are in conflict with each other.
“This morning, I wrote to the CEOs of Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann to find out about their plans for additional services and how they propose policing capacity issues.
Suffice it to say that it is not the job of a bus driver to monitor public health guidelines. The government should consider broader social measures during the second blockade to manage the demand for public transport. “
Dublin Bus did not comment on the claims made by the NBRU.
Bus Éireann said most of its services were operating near revised capacity levels of 25 percent Thursday morning. He said capacity issues were experienced at various regional city services and commuter services. It said its intercity services had received a very small number of passengers.
Allen Parker, Director of Customer Service at Bus Éireann, said: “We have been communicating the Level 5 restrictions to customers for the past few days: public transportation will be limited to 25 percent of capacity and their goal is to allow work. When available, we will try to provide additional capacity; however, this is very limited. “
Elsewhere, Irish roads were congested Thursday morning despite the introduction of Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions and hundreds of Garda checkpoints across the country.
There were long delays and congestion on the N1 from Newry to Jonesborough in Co Louth with heavy traffic also in Julianstown in Co Meath and Balbriggan in Co Dublin during rush hour on Thursday, according to AA Roadwatch.
Delays were also reported on the N25 heading to Cork City and on parts of the N22 in Co Kerry.
Despite the busy roads, AA’s Conor Faughnan said he expected traffic volumes to drop in the coming days, but said a full analysis wouldn’t be available until next week.
In March, at the height of the lockdown, traffic levels dropped “substantially” and only essential trips were made, Faughnan said. These numbers then rose to about 85 percent of normal volume during the summer months and into September, he said, adding that he expected traffic levels to drop to about 40 percent of normal in the coming days.
Mr. Faughnan urged road users to continue to be careful, even when the roads are quieter than normal. “Deaths on the roads increased during the closure in March, so we would say with the long weekend and schools in the medium term, let’s make sure that doesn’t happen again. Let’s not be complacent. “
The latest state restrictions, which are among the most severe in Europe, will be applied by the new powers for gardaí that are expected to be in force next week, according to the government.
Thousands of commercial premises and other businesses closed their doors Wednesday night, while hundreds of thousands of workers will now be required to work from home.
132 Garda checkpoints have been introduced on highways across the country and will be complemented by hundreds of rolling checkpoints on main and minor roads, An Garda Síochána said this week.
High visibility community engagement patrols and support for the vulnerable are among a host of other measures that gardaí is implementing as of today to ensure adherence to public health guidelines.
Weekly data from Dublin City Council shows that the overall volume of outbound traffic from the capital has declined since the Level 3 restrictions were introduced in September, but changes in inbound traffic were not as obvious. Updated data on traffic in Dublin since the latest restrictions came in will be available from tomorrow.
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