Dublin day return ticket cash price leaps nearly 50%

A local TD has condemned the recent increase in bus fares on the Cavan to Dublin route particularly for cash paying customers - with some fare increases of almost 50%.

Speaking in the Dáil last week, Deputy Brendan Smith called out the fares increase for those on the Cavan to Dublin route.

In raising the issue, he pointed out that a daily return ticket has jumped from €18.50 to €27.30; an increase of almost 50%.

It has emerged that this is the fare for cash paying customers, while those using Leap Card have seen their fare remain at €17.40 per day by using the card to purchase a 24-hour Bus Eireann Orange Zone ticket.

“People are entitled to use cash and they should not be unduly penalised because they are not using the modern Leap Card fare system.

“I find it unacceptable and is neither fair nor equitable to have such a divergence in the cost of tickets,” stated Deputy Smith.

Another instance of the rise in fares has landed on those who purchase a ten-journey ticket for €60, which can now be purchased for €114, equating to a 90% increase. A seven-day ticket can now be purchased for €69.60.

“I was not aware of the proposed increase and I know from regular commuters on that route who contacted me that they were also unaware,” Deputy Smith stated while speaking in the Dáil.

He said he appreciates the “frequency” of bus services in rural and urban areas and added that the policy of successive governments has been to “use public transport where possible”.

“To encourage people to switch to public transport there is a need for reasonably priced fares,” Deputy Smith pointed out.

“The decision by the National Transport Authority in the case of the route I am discussing is not fair and it is not equitable. Those fares must be reviewed and reduced.

“Typically on a bus any morning there are people going to work, students going to college, people going to hospital appointments and people going about their ordinary business.

“As the Minister of State will be aware there is a commitment in the programme for Government to keep fares low and affordable. I think the people on that particular route would question how that policy is being implemented.”

He asked the Minister of State to ask the National Transport Authority to review the matter “as urgently as possible” and to have the fare “substantially reduced” to the range of what it was before June 16. He also pointed out that Cavan is not served by a rail service.

Meanwhile he also called for a direct service from Cavan to Dublin.

Distance based

In response, Minister of State Seán Canney stated the new zones and fare structures, “which have been widely publicised”, aim to deliver “more consistent and equitable fares and reduce disparities, particularly in the outer commuter towns surrounding Dublin. These are distance-based fares.”

“The existing fare structures were not always equitable, consistent or easy for passengers to understand, and the new distance-based approach aims to address this by providing a fairer and clearer fare system.”

He stated that he would speak to the Minster for Transport Darragh O’Brien on the issue.

By design

Responding to a query on the issue, a spokesperson from the NTA stated that: “The cash fare is more expensive.”

“The new fare structure includes revisions to single journey fares and in all cases, payment by Leap Card offers the best available value compared to cash.

“Leap fares are universally less expensive than cash and this is by design. The use of Leap cards makes for quicker boarding of passengers and so reduces overall journey times.

“In addition, payment by Leap places less of an administrative burden on the operator. That is why we want more people to use them,” they stated.

They explained that some fares from Cavan to Dublin are among those that have been “increased” in order to “bring them into line with the distance-based model outlined in the 2023 NTA Fares Strategy”.

The spokesperson went on to say that the increase is in the order of 20%, giving the example of a Leap single fare which has gone from €9.45 to €11.40.

Meanwhile, Deputy Smith confirmed he will continue to engage directly with the Minister for Transport and the National Transport Authority to ensure that commuters in Cavan are treated fairly and benefit from affordable public transport options.