As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for securing the provision of public passenger transport services nationally and for the scheduling and timetabling of these services in conjunction with the relevant transport operators, in this case, Go-Ahead.
The National Transport Authority monitors the performance of all public transport operators. Under existing contractual arrangements, financial penalties apply where performance falls below agreed standards, and they are also investing in a new vehicle location system for the fleet which will improve the reliability of the real time passenger information system. They continue to engage with Go-Ahead to enhance service reliability and ensure continuous improvement.
In light of the NTA’s responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's question to the NTA and Go-Ahead for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.
