IRISH RAIL have reduced their services by 60% as new public transport timetables take effect amid the coronavirus lockdown.
Bus services are set to follow suit on Wednesday as the country slowly comes to terms with a new contained and cautious way of life, with social distancing and self-isolation meaning fewer people need to travel.
Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of passengers using public transport has dropped by around 80%.
Despite the reduction in services, the NTA says that it is confident social distancing will be still be possible.
Anne Graham, CEO of the NTA, says that she expects the number of people using public transport to drop even further as the weeks go by.
"We've seen a reduction in passenger numbers of about 80%," said Ms Graham.
"And we expect that following the latest Government announcement in terms of requiring only essential workers and essential trips to be happening by public transport, we expect to see the number of trips down by at least 90% if not more."
Reduced public transport services are taking effect all over the world, with mixed results.
In London, Mayor Sadiq Khan has been criticised for reducing services on the underground system because so many key workers still need to travel by tube.
Due to this, carriages have remained packed throughout the crisis, despite the need for social distancing.
See More: Covid-19, Irish Rail, Reduced Service
