Fianna Fail Spokesperson on Dublin, John Lahart TD, has said that public transport timetables should be amended so that the needs of essential and frontline workers are met more frequently.
Deputy Lahart has called for more joined up thinking to take place between the NTA and the Government to ensure that these frontline workers are not paying exorbitant taxi fares to get to and from work.
“Public transport operators are cutting services and diverting trains and buses to peak times this week in an attempt to ensure less crowded conditions but this means that the timetables do not suit frontline health workers and in many cases they are then having to pay for taxis home after working a long shift in a hospital or care facility added to their costs.
“Revised timetables for Irish Rail across all routes also mean disruption to the people working the hardest to ensure patients are cared for. I would like to see some dialogue between the Government and the NTA as to how we can ensure transport is available for health care workers out of hours, so they are no paying a high price on private transport home.
“New Dublin Bus arrangements which take place from tomorrow will mean Nitelink and Airlink services will be suspended until further notice. A lot of health care workers would have used these services and now are being faced with an added cost to try and get home from work,” concluded Deputy Lahart.
