Dublin Bus’s profits were hit in 2023 by a provision required to cover the cost of buses damaged during the Dublin Riots from last November.
That is according to the 2023 Bus Átha Cliath annual report which shows that the company recorded a pre-tax profit of €2.3 million for 2023.
A burning bus operated by Dublin Bus on Dublin’s O’Connell Bridge on the night of November 23rd last remains one of the most stark images of the Dublin Riots.
Now, in a note attached to the accounts, it states that “the company’s Public Service Obligation (PSO) profitability was also impacted in 2023 by provisions required to cover the cost of vehicles damaged during the civil disturbances in November 2023”.
The note states that “the company continues to engage with key stakeholders in relation to this issue”.
A spokeswoman for Dublin Bus said on Friday that on the night “three buses were destroyed by fire, while one suffered more minor fire damage. One bus also had windows broken on the lower salon”.
She said: “Dublin Bus is still seeking to recover damages in relation to the costs incurred and these claims remain active at the moment.”
She said: “During the course of the riot our employees witnessed scenes of public disorder, violence and in some cases were personally intimidated and threatened. Thankfully, no significant physical injuries were sustained by any Dublin Bus employee.”
In his accompanying statement attached to the annual report, CEO Billy Hann refers to the Dublin Riots when he said: “Ensuring the safety of both residents and visitors in our city must always be a priority, but the need for collective action has never been more evident than in November when the ‘Dublin Riots’ unfolded.
He said: “These sad and shocking scenes of civil unrest forced us to suspend our services, a decision never taken lightly. However, our foremost priority has always been and will always be to protect the safety of our employees and customers.”
Elsewhere in the report, chairperson of Dublin Bus, Gary Owens, highlighted the negative impact Dublin city traffic has on Dublin Bus operations.
He said: “Traffic congestion continued to pose a substantial operational challenge in 2023, negatively impacting on our service reliability.
Mr Owens said: “As the second most congested city in the world, it is imperative that we push forward in our efforts to establish a less car-dominated Dublin city.”
He said that the pandemic “offered us a glimpse into what is possible for our city. With fewer cars on the road, bus services benefited from an increase in efficiency, punctuality, frequency, and reliability”.
Mr Owens said: “We must carefully envision what we want our city to look like in the future, a city of gridlock impeding mobility or a city where sustainable public transport is prioritised resulting in cleaner air quality and reduced noise pollution for our citizens.
Revenues for 2023 at Dublin Bus increased by 8pc to €334 million on the back of 146 million customer journeys compared to 121.4m in 2022.
