CIE nears end of road
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THE EXPECTED three-way split of Coras lompair Eireann, Ireland's semi-state transport company, came a step closer last week when the McKinsey Report was published (CM February 7).
The American-based consultancy has reversed its own views of ten years ago, and has advised Transport Minister Albert Reynolds to divide CIE into three parts, a national railway company, a national bus company, and a Dublin city bus company — the last-mentioned reporting to the Dublin Transportation Authority, when it is established.
It says that CIE has outlived its usefulness as an all-purpose transport company, and says that nothing short of dismantling it will serve the needs of the country.
McKinsey says the Dublin bus company should introduce oneman operation on a large scale, and castigates CIE management for believing that practical difficulties — notably the stalemate with the unions which dates back to the mid-1 9 6 Os — severely reduce its value.
"O-m-o has been implemented successfully in most Western cities, even in British cities, where double-decker buses (more difficult than singledeckers for o-m-o) predominate."
Bus service speeds should be increased in line with the vigorous pursuit by the DTA of traffic management and road improvement schemes, and bus service levels should be adapted after the faster journey times are started.
McKinsey Says the Dublin bus company should control bus performance, labour productivity, and unit costs, and the DTA bus speeds, service levels, and pricing policies.
The national bus company (some are suggesting Busanna Eireann Teoranta as a possible name) would be responsible for provincial city services as well as coach and rural bus services.
According to McKinsey, it would modify its services in line with demand, using standard M and V-type single-deckers only on the relatively few high-demand rural routes, while privately-operated minibuses, community buses, and minibuses owned by An Bard Post (the Post Office) would serve low-demand routes.
Reacting to the Report, CIE general manager John Higgins said last week that the problems in coping with traffic congestion in Dublin would not be met by making changes in the organisation of the public transport service.