2015 Fares Determinations Announced

The National Transport Authority has announced its fares determinations for Luas and the CIÉ companies (Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann) in 2015.

The Authority said the maintenance of subsidy funding for public transport for 2015 has enabled it to "moderate" fares increases.

It said it would aim to increase Leap Card use to simplify fares payments, improve bus journey times and cross-mode transfers. The Authority has announced a "simplification" of the cash and Leap Card fares on Dublin Bus, which carries almost half of all public transport passengers in the State. Currently there are eight adult cash fare types and eight Leap fares. This will reduce to four different adult Leap fares and five adult cash fares.

Gerry Murphy, CEO of the Authority said: "With over 750,000 Leap Cards now in circulation and almost €2m per week used in travel credit, the Leap Card has clearly been welcomed by the travelling public – both for the convenience and for the value it offers. In fact, even with the fares increases announced today – a Leap Card fare in 2015 will nearly always be the same as or lower than a cash fare was in 2012.

"Before the end of the year, the Authority will introduce a second-journey-discount on Dublin Bus Leap Card fares (which will be further rolled out to cover all PSO operators in 2015). This will reduce the cash penalty currently paid by a person who is required to change buses to make their trip from A to B. Also, an off-peak reduction in Luas fares has been introduced for Leap Card users as the cash fares for peak and off-peak have been merged."

He continued: "Already, Leap Card users enjoy considerably lower fares than people paying with cash. And, with Leap daily and weekly caps staying unchanged for 2015, we are moving to a situation where paying by Leap will soon be better value in many cases for the customer than buying a pre-paid weekly ticket – and will offer additional flexibility on top."

For the CIÉ companies (Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann) and Luas the increases to the monthly and annual ticket fares may occur from November 1, 2014, and increases to cash fares can take effect from December 1, 2014, the Authority said.

(IT/CD)