PUBLIC TRANSPORT costs in Ireland have today reduced for the first time in 75 years in an effort to address the cost of living and encourage more sustainable travel.
Fares on Dublin Bus, Luas, Go-Ahead Ireland and DART commuter services in the Greater Dublin Area will drop by 20% for the remainder of 2022.
All Irish Rail intercity and commuter fares across the country will also drop, while fares on Bus Éireann and Local Link services were reduced by 20% last month.
The roll-out the 20% average discount coincides with implementation of the average 50% fare reduction for customers under the age of 24 through the Young Adult Card.
Unlimited travel across Dublin urban bus, Luas, and DART for 90 minutes for just €2 starting on Monday.
That's Maynooth to Bray,
Hazelhatch to Dublin Airport,
for just €2
With a 20% reduction on bus and rail throughout the rest of the GDA also, where different fares apply. pic.twitter.com/gzSHPRFTZD— Eamon Ryan (@EamonRyan) May 6, 2022
Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said the reduced fares "will put money back into people's pockets and will benefit hundreds of thousands of people across the country who use PSO public transport every day."
"They also have the added benefit of accelerating our shift to more efficient and affordable public transport and moving us away from a reliance on private transport."
"Public transport plays such an important role in Dublin City. On average over 140 million passengers are carried by Dublin bus every year and another 41 million by Luas, for example. Now, that we are all moving back to work or travelling around the city more after the pandemic, we want to make it even more attractive and easier for people to be able to choose public transport. This saving of 20% transport costs is one practical way we can do this."
Commenting on the reduced fare for young people, he said he "really wanted to make public transport more attractive for young people, so that using public transport could become a habit of a lifetime.
"I also wanted to go some way to supporting young people, by making da-to-day life a little bit more affordable.
"This fare cut is unprecedented and quite radical. But I believe strongly that it’s the way we need to go if we are serious about putting low-carbon transport at the heart of our efforts to build a sustainable future and if we want to bring people, and particularly young people, with us on that journey."
Anne Graham, CEO, National Transport Authority said:
"I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome this fares-reduction initiative by the government. I believe it will have a very positive impact on passenger numbers by encouraging more people back on board in the weeks and months ahead. This is a signal that now more than ever, public transport provides a more affordable and more sustainable alternative. I’d like to thank the transport operators and the NTA team for the work they have put into getting this over the line."
"With the TFI 90-minute fare coming down to €1 in Dublin, and the standard single fare for young adults and students coming down to €0.65 in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford, we look forward to seeing more young adults using public transport to get to work or college or just when getting out and about with their friends and family."
To support the reduction, the Department of Transport secured €538m of funding for Public Service Obligation (PSO) and Local Link services.
