NBRU PRESS RELEASE
Non-compliance with mandatory policy on face coverings will not serve to restore or instil confidence in Citizens to use Public Transport

General Secretary Dermot O’Leary said:

“Early evidence from our representatives across Dublin this morning is that many commuters are NOT adhering to the mandatory policy on face coverings; the NBRU wrote to the NTA and transport operators on Friday last (having previously written on 14th May), making it abundantly clear that our frontline members would NOT be policing either the mandatory wearing of face coverings or the increased capacity on buses and trains. The difficulties associated with driving a bus and providing train services are such that to add the potential for confrontation and conflict between staff and passengers could possibly run the risk of compromising the safe operation of our transport services.”

Mr O’Leary went on to say:

“The absence of frontline staff representatives from the decision-making table from the commencement of this crisis has not helped and has only added to the confusion among staff and commuters. The ‘finger on the pulse’ knowledge of frontline staff has been glaringly missing from the mix of providing transport and applying the necessary measures required to instil confidence to enable commuters to return to our buses, trains and trams. Public Transport will be a vital component in the efforts to rebuild our economy. We have been corresponding on an almost weekly basis with the NTA and operating companies in relation to a number of measures, not least the compulsory wearing of face coverings (1st May) and we have also been consistent on the requirement to police the reduced capacity on our transport services. Unfortunately, rather than early and proactive consultation we are witnessing 11th hour decisions being made with no appreciable implementation procedures or systems in place.”