The business community has made fresh calls for additional private transport operators after illegal secondary picketing on Dublin Bus depots by disputing ILDA train drivers left thousands of commuters stranded.
Commenting on the disruption to Dublin Bus schedules yesterday morning, Mr Pat Delaney, director of the Small Firms Association, said there was an "absolute need" for the acceleration of procedures to increase the number of operators competing against public services. "The actions of the ILDA train drivers must now be seen as an attempt to undermine the partnership process between employers, unions and the community."
Mr Delaney said an estimate that Kerry would lose £25 million as a result of the disruption was "conservative". He also stressed that the productivity of Dublin, at £14 million per hour, was drastically cut by transport chaos.
Mr Ciaran Conlon, campaigns manager for Dublin Chamber of Commerce, also called for the granting of additional licences to private bus operators. "There is an air of resignation in the business community that the public bus service cannot continue to provide an adequate service. We believe the re-regulation of the market should be accelerated," he said.
Last month, the Minister for Public Enterprise, Mrs O'Rourke, granted 11 licences to private operators for bus routes across Dublin. This week's Government approval for a metro line in the city is based on a public-private partnership model.
A spokesman for Dublin Bus said the company was prepared for increased competition and welcomed competition on a level playing field.
Mr Philip Mahony, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Transport in Ireland, said the actions of ILDA served only to strengthen the argument of those calling for increased competition.
"It is time that the ILDA realised that today's transport customer expects a 21st century transport service and is not interested in outdated squabbles about so-called union recognition."
Mr Mahony was also critical of SIPTU and NBRU members who refused to pass yesterday's secondary pickets and urged both unions to take action to ensure their members went to work if the situation arose again.
Meanwhile, Ms Breda Moynihan-Cronin, the Labour TD for Kerry South, stressed the continuing disruption was not only resulting in losses for industry but was adversely affecting people seeking medical treatment.
"Those people who are forced to travel to Dublin and Cork to access medical services are finding it very difficult to keep appointments because of the infrequent train services. Many are now just cancelling their appointments in despair," she said.