I understand the price of just about everything is going up - but when many countries across Europe are doing everything in their power to encourage more people onto public transport by cutting fares - Northern Ireland’s price hike is a disgrace.
What’s even worse is the fact this is a measure decided by Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris, who no-one here voted for.
Needless to say the 7% rise in bus, rail and Glider fares, when the Conservative government is fending off any request for wage increases anywhere in that vicinity shows just how little they care about the cost of living crisis or climate crisis.
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And it has gone down like a lead balloon with most.
The Department for Infrastructure tells me the change comes into effect on Monday, March 3. They say “travel on Metro, Glider, NI Railways, Enterprise, Goldliner and Ulsterbus services, will see standard fares increase on average by approximately 7%”.
One woman told me it’s already £10 return a day for her to take the train to work - which she says she “cannot justify”.
“I’m lucky to have a train line at all,” she added.
She says a “total overhaul of NI public transport is needed” and she is not wrong.
Our ticketing system is out of date, the app doesn’t work if you’re a mum with kids who has to pay separately for each ticket you buy, you can’t pay with your card on buses from the airport and where are those new ticketing machines promised years ago?
“If services were frequent, practical, and affordable, more people would use them,” she said.
SustransNI, which has long been campaigning to encourage the Government to create better provision for people to walk, wheel, cycle and take public transport described the price hike as “disappointing”.
They said: “A 7% rise even after a 4-year fare freeze is steep for most pockets.
“Public transport goes hand-in-hand with walking and cycling. We need more investment today in sustainable transport for our health, environment and economy.”
Green Party NI leader Malachi O’Hara says he “just can fathom... increasing fares during a cost of living crises and a climate emergency.
“Another outcome of not having a local executive to make decisions and be held accountable for them.”
I know fares have been frozen for about four years - but anyone who already uses the public transport system here will tell you they’re already higher than they need to be to entice more people to ditch their cars.
In this very column, I have called for cuts for some time - and for children to go free to encourage more families to use public transport.
This move laughs in the face of what we really need to be doing to reduce car use.
Northern Ireland is already failing miserably to reduce emissions, diesel cars still aren’t tested to properly for harmful fumes and the system isn’t working.
Despite all these issues, continuing cruel Tory austerity measures mean we now have no hope for a well subsidised transport system that works.
I asked Translink for a breakdown of the fare increases. Cash paying customers can expect:
- 10p more on a single journey and 50p more for a day ticket on Metro and Glider buses
- 20p to £1 on Ulsterbus and Goldliners depending on distance
- 10p to £1 on the train, again distance dependent
A spokesperson said: “Metro customers should consider the contactless ‘tap on only’ payment option which caps their fare at £3.70 - after 2 journeys the remainder of journeys that day are free.
“Ulsterbus and Goldliner... customers should also consider the range of good value return tickets and Smartlink card discounts available. Smartlink cards for Metro and Ulsterbus offer discounts of up to 25% on standard cash fares.
“Most NI Railways cash single fares will increase between 10p and £1 depending on distance. Again, customers should consider our range of good value return tickets, weekly and monthly discounts.
“Discounts of 25% are also available after 9.30am on Ulsterbus and NI Railways day return tickets.
“Other examples of good value fares include our family day tickets available at weekends and school holiday periods offering unlimited day travel for 2 adults and up to 4 children for just £10 (Metro/Glider) and £23 (all NI bus & rail services).”
Driving and parking up with your family wouldn’t even cost that.
SDLP Infrastructure spokesperson Mark H Durkan says it will punish the worst off in society and do nothing to help reduce emissions.
“This is a Tory government that allows energy companies to make huge profits while the public pays the price and it’s ridiculous that they would rather impose additional costs on people here than make these companies pay their fair share,” he added.
“We know how harmful vehicle emissions are to our environment and if we’re serious about tackling the climate emergency then we need to take steps to make cleaner modes of transport more accessible, not less.”
“Whilst other countries such as Germany and the Republic of Ireland have cut fares to encourage the use of public transport, the move to increase bus and rail fares in Northern Ireland is a regrettable and retrograde step,” said Alliance Infrastructure spokesperson Andrew Muir.
“These fare increases, which are inevitably only going to drive people away from considering public transport as an option, are especially disappointing in the midst of both a climate emergency and a cost of living crisis.”
A Department for Infrastructure spokesperson said: “In his Written Ministerial Statement of 24 November 2022, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland stated that steps would need to be taken to improve Translink’s sustainability through the uprating of public transport fares.
“The Department fully recognises the challenges facing many people in the current cost of living crisis. However, significant budget pressures mean the below inflation uplift is needed to maintain and improve public transport services.
“Translink will continue to offer a range of good value fares and we would encourage users of public transport to look for the best value options available. We would also continue to encourage people to reduce carbon emissions by walking, wheeling or cycling or using public transport, rather than private vehicles, to help address the climate emergency.”
I mean, what rock are they living under?
I bet if we made it regulation for everyone politician and government employee to take public transport, the system would improve dramatically.
We’re bottom of the league on EV chargers, we’re bottom of the class on public transport and infrastructure improvements, our cycle lanes are a joke and people often have no option but to jump in the car.
Even while there’s no visible light at the end of the tunnel on any of these issues - they just decide to charge us more for a system that is broken in so many ways and we’re just supposed to put up with it.
And they wonder why people are leaving in droves!
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