Free Travel

Nomis21

Before I received my ftp I was contemplating buying a car, but of course, why would I bother spending all that money buying a vehicle, not to mention the stress of driving, parking, insuring, NCT'ing etc this vehicle when I can walk out of my house and get on any train, bus, Luas or even a ferry for free. So one less car on the road.

So why not give every person in the state a Free Travel Pass? It would cut traffic congestion, pollution and would make many transport routes viable that do not get enough use at present.

Yes of course it might be expensive, but the saving in ticketing, cash collection and not having to catch fare evaders would save some money and speed up the buses.

In UK they have free healthcare and in Ireland and UK there is free school education paid for by taxation, so why not free transport?

me_irl

Do you have a manifesto... and put that to the test...oh?

biko

Free travel would be great but not everyone lives in a city. For people in proper rural areas there just isn't enough buses etc.

myshirt

Who's your dealer?

Spill.

Nomis21

biko wrote: »

Free travel would be great but not everyone lives in a city. For people in proper rural areas there just isn't enough buses etc.

Yes I agree, but they are buying a cheaper property because they are far from facilities. They would expect to use some of the money they are saving to buy a vehicle. They would still have the option to drive to the nearest town and get on a bus or train for free.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Sounds great, can those of us in rural areas have our cars paid for tax/insurance/nct/fuel/maintenance in the interest of fairness

donegaLroad

me_irl wrote: »

Do you have a manifesto... and put that to the test...oh?

My brother knows Karl Marx
He met him eating mushrooms in the public park

Ubbquittious

If they are serious about cutting pollution that's what they'd do. At the minute in a lot of places nobody uses public transport because it's too expensive therefore it gets even more expensive and the service gets cancelled.

maudgonner

I don't know about free travel across the board, but I do think there should be free (or very cheap) park & ride facilities* that give easy access to cities for commuters.





* Transport facilities, not dogging sites :pac:

Armchair Andy

donegaLroad wrote:

My brother knows Karl Marx He met him eating mushrooms in the public park

He took me down to meet an anarchist party,
met a guy who was arty farty

Richard Hillman

I dont think it is the cost that pushes people towards public transport. Public transport isnt really that price sensitive. If you have to use it, you'll use it. If my weekly Dublin Bus ticket went from €30 to €50, I would be pissed but I would still have to pay for it.

ygolometsipe

I happen to like your idea op!

However, I am from the country! To be more specific, "the sticks".
Think of the amount of fresh hay we would need for all the piebalds on the move.
Hay doesn't grow on trees ya know!!

learn_more

No because it would be abused.

There are things I really want to say on the current state of free travel but I have had my thread removed on the subject in the past , in my opinion unfairly, so I'll try to be a bit more diplomatic here.

I will hint at my previous points though. If you had a system of free travel you will have a demographic of people who will spend their days travelling for no reason whatsoever. Either because they have noting to do to pass the time of day or someone wants them out of the house for a few hours. Sad reality but there you go.

Edit: Free travel is absolutely fine but only when there is a legitimate case for someone to get somewhere, not just travelling for the sake of it.

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo

I like your idea op.

Dublin has the 4th most expensive public transport in the world. :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

Pollution is increasing, people are spending more of their lives than ever commuting. To me it's no brainer to encourage people to use public transport where possible.

paleoperson

learn_more wrote: »

No because it would be abused.

There are things I really want to say on the current state of free travel but I have had my thread removed on the subject in the past , in my opinion unfairly, so I'll try to be a bit more diplomatic here.

I will hint at my previous points though. If you had a system of free travel you will have a demographic of people who will spend their days travelling for no reason whatsoever. Either because they have noting to do to pass the time of day or someone wants them out of the house for a few hours. Sad reality but there you go.

Edit: Free travel is absolutely fine but only when there is a legitimate case for someone to get somewhere, not just travelling for the sake of it.

Yeah, a limit to the amount of travel someone can do in a week.

I agree with this thread. Travelling is neither a luxury nor a privilege but an essential part of modern society and should be freely available.

Your Face

I bought a car so I wouldn't have to use public transport.

casscass4444

Nomis21 wrote: »

Yes I agree, but they are buying a cheaper property because they are far from facilities. They would expect to use some of the money they are saving to buy a vehicle. They would still have the option to drive to the nearest town and get on a bus or train for free.

Me old pal if everyone in the state got everything for nothing society as it is today wouldn't function.what about all the lost revenue from car tax,fuel sales,insurance if nobody had cars.where are all the extra buses going to come from.whos going to fund all this and contract drivers.bus eireann is already running at a loss incase you haven't heard.you seem to forget that the government are actually out to rob the ordinary working man,not to be giving him presents.
As for your theory of people living in the country so they can buy cheaper property you should use your free travel pass to travel and broaden your mind.never heard such nonsense before.did you ever think that some people might like having a bit of space around them,some fresh air and be able to provide for themselves by owning a car and home paid for by hard honest work.i saw a half acre site with fpp sold in what you would call the sticks for 350k and that's before you turn the sod and start a build.is that cheap.id say you should rethink your great idea

casscass4444

And just to add it's actually cheaper in this Johnny go backwards,rob job country to travel from Galway to Dublin by car then it is to take the train.and they wonder then why they are running at a loss.maybe if they dropped the prices people would use public services.figure that one out.

eurasian

Although I like the idea of free travel pass for everyone, it's not going to happen.
I heavily rely on buses due to location of my workplace and spent fortune on a buses. I don't qualify for a free pas but to have it subsided depending on your income would be good to have.

Wanderer78

Have you consulted this with the oil and vehicle manufacturers? I'm not sure they d agree!

Years ago, I sold my car in Galway and started taking the bus from the centre out to Parkmore because work provided free bus passes.

It's definitely a great incentive.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Nomis21 wrote: »

Before I received my ftp I was contemplating buying a car, but of course, why would I bother spending all that money buying a vehicle, not to mention the stress of driving, parking, insuring, NCT'ing etc this vehicle when I can walk out of my house and get on any train, bus, Luas or even a ferry for free. So one less car on the road.

So why not give every person in the state a Free Travel Pass? It would cut traffic congestion, pollution and would make many transport routes viable that do not get enough use at present.

Yes of course it might be expensive, but the saving in ticketing, cash collection and not having to catch fare evaders would save some money and speed up the buses.

In UK they have free healthcare and in Ireland and UK there is free school education paid for by taxation, so why not free transport?

I'm entitled to the FTP but can't use it because I'm nowhere near any transport system. Even if I decided to take a bus or train I'd have to drive to it. So, in essence, you are imagining a utopia where we can all walk out our door to a bus stop. Indeed, the FTP is probably one of the most inequitable welfare initiatives in the country, as it really only benefits those in city or large urban areas.

Ubbquittious

I'm entitled to FTP but all I can get is HTTPS

osarusan

My mother will be delighted with a pass for the one bus a week that goes past her house.

Nomis21

You don't need to live in a big city or town to make use of public transport. My town has about a thousand inhabitants and we have an inter city train and 2 bus routes.

As for people passing the day by using public transport just to get out the house, why shouldn't they? I mean that's what most people do with their cars isn't it?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Nomis21 wrote: »

You don't need to live in a big city or town to make use of public transport. My town has about a thousand inhabitants and we have an inter city train and 2 bus routes.

As for people passing the day by using public transport just to get out the house, why shouldn't they? I mean that's what most people do with their cars isn't it?

It's well for you. We have a bus twice a week, if we can get the 6 miles to it.
I don't know anybody who 'passes the day' by driving their car.

Agent Coulson

Wait a minute where's me jumper?

rangler1

The public service is already ripping us off and here you are promoting another vehicle (ouch) to screw us more

Lia_lia

People would still drive to work anyway.

end of the road

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Sounds great, can those of us in rural areas have our cars paid for tax/insurance/nct/fuel/maintenance in the interest of fairness

no . to qualify you would have to get the bus or train. his proposal would only be availible for public transport users.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

end of the road wrote: »

no . to qualify you would have to get the bus or train. his proposal would only be availible for public transport users.

Oh ok, free shuttle bus to nearest train station so

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Oh ok, free shuttle bus to nearest train station so

But, I need to go to a town with no train station or regular bus service. Perhaps his magical bus will take me from my door to my friends door for free, even though nobody else is going that direction.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Joanna Agreeable Historian wrote: »

But, I need to go to a town with no train station or regular bus service. Perhaps his magical bus will take me from my door to my friends door for free, even though nobody else is going that direction.

Only fair S!! I mean if it's such a nessessity that it's given for free, then it needs to serve everybody

Lau2976

I think it's a good idea op. Or at least travel that's more subsidized. As someone else said those in the country pay lower house prices and lower property tax because they aren't near amenities. City dwellers should be encouraged to use pt, not those who don't have access to it. Not everyone is going to benefit from every government subsidy.

dirtyden

Lau2976 wrote: »

I think it's a good idea op. Or at least travel that's more subsidized. As someone else said those in the country pay lower house prices and lower property tax because they aren't near amenities. City dwellers should be encouraged to use pt, not those who don't have access to it. Not everyone is going to benefit from every government subsidy.

What about all the people in cities who don't pay for housing or property tax, will they have to pay for public transport?

Is your plan that just rich people from Dublin should benefit?

Glenster

In Singapore they have a thing where the metro is free before 7.30 or something.

That's a great idea because it rewards those poor people who go to work early and reduces rush hour congestion.

And more work gets done.

I love Sean nos

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Sounds great, can those of us in rural areas have our cars paid for tax/insurance/nct/fuel/maintenance in the interest of fairness

So why not give every person in the state a Free Travel Pass? It would cut traffic congestion, pollution and would make many transport routes viable that do not get enough use at present.

Since you chose to live in Ballygobackwards, you don't have any of these things. As compensation though, you have an aversion to washing and webbed feet.

Nomis21

dirtyden wrote: »

What about all the people in cities who don't pay for housing or property tax, will they have to pay for public transport?

Is your plan that just rich people from Dublin should benefit?

Every location had advantages and disadvantages for living.

City has more opportunities for work and recreation, better transport but worse pollution, congestion and more crime.

Country has tranquility and cheaper housing, but poor infrastructure.

You pay your money and you make your choice.

Lau2976

dirtyden wrote: »

What about all the people in cities who don't pay for housing or property tax, will they have to pay for public transport?

Is your plan that just rich people from Dublin should benefit?

I didn't mean that it was because people in Dublin pay higher prices and tax that they should get it, I was responding to people who said we shouldn't have it because not everybody benefits from it. As Nomis21 said, you accept that with paying cheaper for your house and taxes that you won't be near amenities. That's just the way it is.

Rich people in Dublin? :pac: come get on a Dublin bus and point out the "rich" people.

end of the road

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Oh ok, free shuttle bus to nearest train station so

no . you have to drive and pay. once you get to the train station, then you can avail of his proposal assuming i'm correct on how it works.

Glenster

Lau2976 wrote: »

Rich people in Dublin? :pac: come get on a Dublin bus and point out the "rich" people.

The Driver.



......




SATIRE!

Nomis21

Glenster wrote: »

The Driver.



......




SATIRE!

It's not satire, it's true

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Nomis21 wrote: »

Every location had advantages and disadvantages for living.

City has more opportunities for work and recreation, better transport but worse pollution, congestion and more crime.

Country has tranquility and cheaper housing, but poor infrastructure.

You pay your money and you make your choice.

But you don't want those in urban areas to pay their money.... for transport... that the rest of us will be paying for, and subsidising your free travel through our taxes as well.