‘Winners and losers’ as major revamp of bus and rail fares to see costs rise and fall

The Nationwide Transport Authority (NTA) says fares will keep the identical or scale back for 82pc of passengers underneath the adjustments to be rolled out over the approaching months.

Examples embody a discount within the every day fare cap for a lot of Leap card customers from €8 to €6 whereas these travelling between Dublin and a few components of Kildare, Meath and Wicklow will take pleasure in fare reductions of as much as 50pc.

Nevertheless, others will see will increase of as much as 30pc.

The NTA says passengers on some routes in some locations are at the moment being undercharged in comparison with comparable journeys somewhere else.

They embody regional cities reminiscent of Athlone and Carlow the place city fares at the moment set at €1.10 and €1.35 will go as much as €1.50.

Some intercity rail fares will even enhance

Anne Graham, NTA chief govt, mentioned the strikes had been supposed to cut back discrepancies between fares.

“These are anomalies that constructed up over time,” she mentioned.

“Our purpose to make fares extra equitable and constant.

“There will likely be winners and losers – we acknowledge that.”

Fares are to grow to be extra standardised throughout completely different modes of public transport with larger emphasis on calculating fares based mostly on the gap travelled because the crow flies.

“The present system penalises passengers who need to take oblique routes,” Ms Graham mentioned.

Adjustments will occur in Dublin and surrounding commuter counties first earlier than extending to the remainder of the nation over this 12 months.

Fares will likely be based mostly on two new zones – the Dublin Metropolis Zone which extends roughly 23km from town centre – and the Dublin Commuter Zone which extends to 50km.

They may change zones at the moment utilized by completely different transport operators.

For instance, Irish Rail’s ‘Brief Hop Zone’ and Bus Éireann’s ‘Jap regional fare ones’ will not apply.

The Dublin Metropolis Zone broadly mirrors the present €2 90-minute fare zone which has proved massively well-liked and is credited with growing passenger numbers on public transport to document ranges.

Two new cities, Ashbourne and Ratoath in Co Meath, will come into town zone.

Nevertheless, Greystones in Co Wicklow, which is essentially the most southerly cease on the Dart line, is being excluded.

Inside the metropolis zone, two fares of €1.50 and €2.40 will apply. The €1.50 fare is a 20c enhance on the present comparable fare.

A brand new weekly Leap Card cap of €24 will even be launched for Metropolis Zone travellers, down from the present price of €32.

New month-to-month and annual tickets for Metropolis Zone travellers will signify a 38pc saving on present equivalents, the NTA says.

Nevertheless, some areas simply outdoors the Dublin Metropolis Zone, reminiscent of Greystones, will see the weekly €32 cap rise to €40.

Some paper-based practice and bus tickets that permit for a number of journeys or a number of day journey are to be phased out, with passengers inspired to modify to Leap playing cards.

Occasional travellers will nonetheless have the ability to purchase a paper single journey ticket.

The primary adjustments will come into impact by June.