Bus fares on all subsidised public transport services provided by Bus Éireann and Local Link outside the greater Dublin area are to be slashed by around 20% from Monday.
The plan to cut public transport fares was announced by Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan in February and was among the measures included in the Government’s package to reduce the cost of living.
The fare reductions will benefit Bus Éireann customers on city services in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford, as well as town services in Athlone, Balbriggan, Drogheda, Dundalk, Navan and Sligo.
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Fares on Bus Éireann’s inter-urban and commuter services will also fall, although fares on the company’s commercial Expressway services are not included.
With these changes, a journey from Westport to Castlebar that currently costs €4.20 with a Leap Card will fall to just €3.36. A journey from Ashbourne to Dublin that currently costs €4.20 on Leap will fall to €3.36.
For town services, the Leap fare will go from €1.40 down to €1.10, a reduction of over 20%. On city services in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford, the €1.68 Leap fare will drop by 20% to €1.35.
This is the first of two sets of fare reductions, cuts in the Greater Dublin Area won’t be introduced until May.
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD said: “We want to make it easier for people to be able to choose public transport throughout the country and I am delighted that this saving of 20% off public transport costs is now being implemented for commuters across regional cities and towns particularly.”
“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 cities and towns throughout the country.
“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.”
Anne Graham, CEO of the NTA said: “Value for money is not the only factor that gets people on to public transport, but it is an important one, and we do know that reducing fares will make public transport more attractive to more people.
“We’re appreciative of the support that the Government has given us, that has enabled us to make public transport even more affordable. I am confident that as a result, we will see the number of passenger journeys on these services increase in the months ahead.
“Today marks a good day for public transport, particularly in rural areas and in our regional cities and towns.”
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