Local and national bus services will be deregulated quickly if the Progressive Democrats are returned to power, the Progressive Democrat leader, Ms Harney told the conference.
The tough line was adopted despite an all-day protest outside the conference hotel by taxi-drivers, who are demanding compensation for the Government's deregulation of their industry.
"We will introduce more bus competition. We will break down the barriers that prevent independent operators from offering a service to an often frustrated travelling public. We will open local and city networks to competitive tendering. We will do so because we want to see more companies operating more services on more routes than ever before. We believe that competition is good for the consumer. We have to find other alternatives for the car," she said.
"The shortcomings of our transport network are well known. We are trying to run a first-rate economy with a second-rate transport system. This is a small country. But it has fallen victim to the tyranny of distance because of our poor transport infrastructure. Journeys that take minutes elsewhere in Europe take hours here in Ireland. Our transport system isn't working." Attorney General Mr McDowell lambasted Fine Gael's promise to compensate the taxi-drivers. Fine Gael had first promised €20 million and when the industry rejected the proposal, it increased the offer to between €200 million and €400 million.
"They claimed that this would come from within the taxi trade. Who would pay? The public? Who are they kidding? The Progressive Democrats are not going to compete with that kind of nonsense."
Fine Gael has now produced "another idea from the lead balloon hangar" by proposing that former Eircom shareholders should be compensated by the State for losses they sustained. "When Telecom Éireann was floated they said the shares were too cheap. Now they want to recompense investors because they now say they were sold off too dear," said Mr McDowell.
