Discontinuation of Longford rail station-Drumlish-Arva-Cavan bus:

[berneyarms]

It was a DSP decision, not a DoT decision to not allow new routes to join the scheme.

I'd imagine that the contract is identical to that with M & A Coaches for their services between Portlaoise and Fermoy which is on the NTA website.
http://www.nationaltransport.ie/publ...hes/contracts/

I would expect the Whartons contract to be uploaded there as well in due course.

To be fair to the NTA, if there is one thing that they have introduced it is some transparency in all of their decision making.

[ACustomer]

Thanks, berneyarms, for the clarification.

I transfer the booby prize to the DSP. Maybe the NTA has introduced greater transparency, but behind them the same old tired civil servants are pulling the strings.

[James Howard]

Rules are rules but it seems hardly fair that people in rural areas with no other way of accessing FTP services than taking an extremely infrequent basic service have to pay while the elderly residents of Foxrock can benefit from a luxury airport transfer free of charge.

Whatever about the history of things, it is now five years later and we can hardly expect the status quo to hold forever. Should there be a Mullingar to Cavan service via the Float and Ballywillan because there was a train line there 50 years ago?

[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by ACustomer

Maybe the NTA has introduced greater transparency, but behind them the same old tired civil servants are pulling the strings.

I'm not sure if you are being metaphorical, but as I understand it, only 'new' personnel are dealing with bus licensing and the previous staff transferred back to the Department of Transport.

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by ACustomer

Thanks, berneyarms, for the clarification.

I transfer the booby prize to the DSP. Maybe the NTA has introduced greater transparency, but behind them the same old tired civil servants are pulling the strings.

I don't think you could possibly compare the bus licensing regime under the DoT with that under the NTA.

We've gone from total lethargy and inability to make decisions to a process that is clear, transparent and relatively fast. The people making the decisions are not the former civil servants.

There are full procedures for setting up new PSO services, and for issuing commercial licences, so I fail to see how you can think that it is "making it up as we go along".

I think as James Howard observes, there is a need to review what services the Free Travel Scheme covers - personally I believe it should cover:

* City and Suburban bus services (off-peak only)
* Rural PSO bus services
* 50% on all commercial bus/coach services
* DART and suburban rail services (off-peak only)
* Intercity rail services

I differentiate between Intercity rail and commercial bus services as the former are subject to a full PSO subsidy.

[Mark Gleeson]

The free pass and PSO have nothing to do with each other

There are numerous non PSO services where DSP pass is accepted.

There are also now services under PSO funding where DSP passes are no longer accepted for free travel

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

The free pass and PSO have nothing to do with each other

There are numerous non PSO services where DSP pass is accepted.

There are also now services under PSO funding where DSP passes are no longer accepted for free travel

Mark - I was saying what I thought it should be going forward.

It is a complete mish-mash right now and I was intimating that it needs a comprehensive overhaul.

My own view is that PSO services should have priority over commercial ones.