Extra Garda resources deployed

AN EMERGENCY meeting of the Dublin Bus/Luas Community Forum was held in the Plaza Hotel in Tallaght on Tuesday morning to discuss the issues with anti-social behaviour in West Tallaght.

As reported in The Echo last week, a total of 34 instances of anti-social behaviour affecting buses in Tallaght were recorded in December alone, primarily affecting the 27, 77A and 65B routes.

The instances included assaults on drivers, an assault on a passenger, projectiles such as eggs and stones being thrown at buses, vandalism and verbal abuse.

Unions had threatened to suspend services to West Tallaght every evening starting from 6pm last Thursday, but last-minute discussions between the NBRU, SIPTU and Dublin Bus prevented this.

Instead, from 6pm every evening, routes have now been curtailed, with the 77A not serving Whitestown Way and Killinarden Heights, while the 65B also isn’t serving Killinarden Heights.

The 27 is not serving Cheeverstown Road, Brookfield Road and Russell Square, while the 56A is not serving the N81, Cheeverstown Road, Cookstown Road and Fettercairn.

This week’s emergency meeting was called to deal with this issue, and was attended by the CEO of Dublin Bus, the assistant garda commissioner, union representatives and local politicians.

Also in attendance was the superintendent of Tallaght Garda Station, Tomas Gormley, who told The Echo that additional garda resources have been deployed to West Tallaght in recent days.

“We have extra resources in the area as a result of the bus withdrawals,” Supt Gormley said on Tuesday afternoon.

“We have more guards in the area, because the last thing we want is the withdrawal of Dublin Bus services, so we’re working with Dublin Bus and local representatives.”

Commenting on how the emergency meeting went, Supt Gormley said: “It was very productive, and everyone was very solution driven.

“We’re working proactively to try to reduce the number of instances [of anti-social behaviour].

A garda travelling on a Dublin Bus in West Tallaght this week

“I want to see the bus service restored back to the way it was and for Dublin Bus drivers and passengers to feel safe and know that if anything happens we’ll be there.”

Supt Gormley urged people to report instances of anti-social behaviour to Tallaght Garda Station on (01) 666 6000 and added that gardaí and Dublin Bus are planning to visit local schools in the coming months.

“We’re going to be going into schools and working with Dublin Bus to make people aware of how their actions can impact their community,” he explained.

Over 40 people were present at the well-attended meeting, in stark contrast to previous forum meetings which NBRU official Sean Yeates previously told The Echo were poorly attended by community representatives.

Fianna Fáil councillor Charlie O’Connor, who is a regular attendee at the community forum meetings, said that the attendance numbers at the emergency meeting can’t be “a once-off”.

“It was a very good meeting, there were very good contributions, but it’s important to make the point that this can’t be a once-off,” he said.

“When things calm down, the people at the meeting will return to their normal activities, but we need to remember that the people who are causing these issues will still be there.

“We have to have a long-term strategy. The meeting can’t be a once-off.”

Independent councillor Mick Duff, who is the chairperson of the council’s Tallaght Area Committee (TAC), will be tabling a motion about the issue at a TAC meeting next week.

Representatives from the NBRU and SIPTU will meet with Dublin Bus representatives on Friday, followed by another Dublin Bus/Luas Community Forum meeting next Tuesday to monitor the situation.

Sean Yeates from the NBRU told The Echo that the current bus route diversions are expected to continue until at least next Tuesday, when the next community forum meeting will be held.