“Would you be happy to have your spouse, mother, father, children or constituent travel on an expressway bus being driven by someone who counts his cash takings with both hands as the bus speeds through the countryside at 80kph?”
This was the question a Mr. Bill Murphy asked every TD in the country after he witnessed a bus driver steering his vehicle at speed with his elbows. (Today with Pat Kenny, Thursday)
Mr. Murphy put the question to TDs after heroically trying every other avenue in an attempt to have this bus driver brought to account. Here’s a brief outline of his efforts.
7TH June: (Date of incident) Sent comment form to Bus Eireann. No reply.
End of June: Sent copy to Road Safety Authority. Received letter from Noel Brett, CEO of RSA indicating that he had written to Bus Eireann asking them to deal with Mr. Murphy’s complaint.
6TH July: Received letter from Marketing, Sales and External Communications Department (Phew!) saying that comments were sent to Cork and they would be in touch.
Received letter from Cork saying that their chief inspector would interview the driver. A month has passed and the driver hasn’t even been interviewed? (How many people could have died in that month due to this dangerous practice?)
7TH August: (Two months after the incident). Sent copy of all correspondence to Mr. Tim Hayes, CEO Bus Eireann and Noel Brett of RSA. Received acknowledgement from RSA – Silence from Bus Eireann.
Travelled personally to Dail Eireann to deliver the above question to TDs.
Let’s deal with the bus driver first. There is no way to be nice about this dangerous idiot. He should be fired immediately, charged with dangerous driving and banned for life from being in charge of a vehicle where he would be responsible for the lives of dozens of people.
The management personnel in Bus Eireann should also be fired for failing to protect the safety of commuters.
A bit harsh? Bring to mind television pictures of mangled bodies being removed from wrecked buses.
Amazingly, Pat Kenny expressed sympathy for the driver claiming that perhaps all Bus Eireann drivers drive with their elbows and this man was ‘unfortunate’ in being singled out.
Mr. Murphy is to be congratulated, not just for his efforts to save lives, but also for his persistence against a wall of uncaring bureaucracy.