Courts / Dublin / Report

Bus driver sacked for twice using phone back working as taxi man, WRC hears

Date
2024-01-10

Stage
Hearing Or Decision

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

Yong Yue Wang, a former Dublin Bus driver, was dismissed in September 2022 after the company found he had used a mobile phone while driving twice in under a year, breaching its zero‑tolerance policy. The Workplace Relations Commission heard Wang's claim under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977, seeking reinstatement. Wang had previously received a final written warning and a three‑day unpaid suspension for an earlier incident in November 2021. In July 2022, a chief inspector reported seeing Wang holding a phone while driving a 15B bus on Townsend Street; Wang maintained the phone was in his pocket or had fallen off the dashboard. The tribunal noted procedural concerns, including language barriers and the lack of CCTV evidence, and the adjudicator said a decision would be issued in weeks. Wang has since obtained a taxi licence and is earning about €700 a week.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Bus driver sacked for twice using phone back working as taxi man, WRC hears. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

September 2022 Incident
July 2022 Incident
November 2021 Hearing Or Sentence
January 2022 Hearing Or Sentence
2024-01-10 Publication

Why: Mr Wang's barrister, Kieran Falvey BL, played the relevant footage for the hearing and said it was "useless" because his client's right hand was out of sight throughout the relevant three-minute period. CNI source report