Ireland’s National Transport Authority (NTA) has launched a 20% fare reduction for public transport services in the Greater Dublin Area, which will come into effect on Monday [9th May 2022] and will remain in place until the end of the year, in a bid to help with living costs.
Fares on all subsidised services in the Greater Dublin Area are to be reduced by an average of 20%, with reductions applying to services provided by Dublin Bus, Luas, Go-Ahead Ireland and Iarnród Éireann’s Commuter and DART services. The TFI 90-Minute Fare introduced last year will fall to €2.00 for adults and €0.65 for children.
While Iarnród Éireann’s online fares were reduced last month, from Monday, all intercity and commuter fares across the country will drop. Fares on Bus Éireann and TFI Local Link services were also reduced by 20% last month.
Customers will get their 20% reduction in fares when they pay for their journey in the usual way, whether that’s by Leap, cash or online payment.
The plan to cut public transport fares is among the measures included in Ireland’s government package to reduce the cost of living. This national fare reduction is the first in 75 years, with the last cut introduced in 1947.
Ireland’s minister for transport, Eamon Ryan, said: “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.”
“But this cost reduction is also important at this particular time. People are coming under more and more pressure as the price of essentials continues to increase. As one element of a suite of measures being introduced by the government, this fare reduction will go some way to easing some of the financial strain that households are experiencing.
“Choosing public transport over the private car, even for one trip a week, can begin to help us reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. It will also help improve the air quality and cut down on congestion in our capital city.”
“And at a time when fuel security is a greater concern than it has been in decades, leaving the car behind, if at all possible, is one of the best things we can all do to help reduce our energy use, and save money.”
