Dublin Bus' Harristown depot is the first Irish site to gain IRTE Workshop Accreditation, the independent scheme designed to raise vehicle maintenance standards throughout the road transport industry.
"We had been looking for an external means of benchmarking our maintenance systems and procedures against industry best practice, and this seemed like a logical way forward," comments health and safety manager James McHugh.
"In considering that operator premises inspections by the Road Safety Authority will now be introduced in late 2013, under the Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness Act 2012, this type of audit could prove useful for any operators who may have concerns over compliance," he states.
Indeed, McHugh believes that the IRTE's Workshop Accreditation scheme is ideal for Irish operators and maintenance providers looking to ensure they are up to standard.
Workshop Accreditation assess service providers on their ability to manage a good standard of vehicle maintenance and repair.
Around 50 sites in the UK, including Müller-Wiseman Dairies and bus operator Arriva, have already been granted IRTE Workshop Accredition.
"By being the first to gain IRTE Workshop Accreditation in the Republic of Ireland, Dublin Bus is leading the way in responsible vehicle maintenance provision," comments Ian Chisholm (pictured), head of operations and communications at IRTE's umbrella organisation, SOE (Society of Operations Engineers).
"Vehicle maintenance has a serious impact on road safety and compliance, and the fact that Dublin Bus customers can now be absolutely confident in the level of maintenance carried out on their PWVs [public service vehicles] is a significant step forward for the road transport industry in Ireland."