NTA Publishes 2024 Fares Plan Changes

Lots of changes to analyse in the fares determination report:

The 90 minute fares & capping will come in the provincial cities as they roll out the new networks - frustrating to have to wait I know, but they are in the pipeline.

I suspect that it’s a case of (like the network map!) the NTA want to have a good news story all in one go.

Agree, that timetable isn't well thought through. Maybe the NTA thinks that it's a bit too soon to amend it since we don't know how busy it will get within the next 12 months or so with the passenger numbers and need more data from the buses of how much time they need to make the trips. I'd of course, when we struggle with having enough drivers, reduce times so that we perhaps could use those free extra drivers on the other routes instead. I think that slashing off 7-12 minutes off some trips is possible.

as someone in one of those Short Hop towns (Greystones) I can confirm I'm not happy. Dart fare was reduced from €4 to €3 last year, now it's going back up to €3.90 and as far as I can tell we're also losing the 90 minute free transfer. Cost of an annual ticket increasing from 1150 to 1400. Report unsurprisingly highlights a location (Gormanston) where fares will significantly reduce, but not the small (single?) number of locations facing increases. But at least I can take comfort that the new system is "fairer".

They've chosen a very weird time to announce a new annual ticket for Dublin given that the vast majority of people have just signed up to renew onto the old annual tickets in the last month. Will there be a facility for people to switch to the new tickets when launched?

They’re not happening until later in the year (end of Q3).

I think it’s the same for Naas too, which is scandalous as I would consider Greystones and Naas in the Metro Area. Although I think the 90 min fare still counts

I would have thought it would be better. Current price of Newbridge Dublin City Centre via Luas/145 is €19.70, new price is €15, a saving of 24%. Still much more expensive than the original SHZ and considering more people are being forced out of Dublin due to housing/rent, it's hardly much to be celebrating unless you are in work 5 days a week.

Well as someone who does use public transport 7 days a week and paying the higher tax rate, this will mean I can get around for €46 a month (using the monthly ticket) which in my book is brilliant. Anything but a joke!

I have a monthly tax saver.

Is the yearly one not cheaper overall?

Intercity fares are already in distance based fare bands.

So no is the answer.

People in the likes of Naas, Greystones and Kilcock definitely wont be happy.

The fare increase and also losing the 90min fare cap.

Can see a lot hopping on at Sallins and then scanning on in Celbridge quickly

Re:

Given the flat fares in these cities, I really don't understand how the Leap ticketing is so poor and requires driver interaction. They really could roll out the simple model 1 EMV tap to pay we discussed earlier. I suspect they are planning to also roll out a 90 minute ticket and capping in these cities too.

There's not actually a flat fare.

In Galway, there's a standard fare, which they explicitly mentioned. But there's also a higher fare that is officially for journeys over 7.5km - although in real life it's only applied on the 404, and by VERY newbie-just-out-of-training drivers on other routes

I'm pretty sure that Cork has similar.

Exactly. People want equitable, cost effective (not just monetary), and integrated fares. I find it hilarious that people sneer about this issue while people from Newbridge pay criminal amounts just to get to work. The same people claim to be in favour of increased public transport use. Public transport needs to be either A. Quicker and easier or B. More cost effective, in order for people to avail of public transport en masse. Provide this, alongside the infrastructure, and perhaps the entire Dublin-Wicklow-Kildare-Meath area wouldn’t be a giant car park every single morning with the second worst traffic congestion in the world. In any other EU country as wealthy as we are, this would be seen as a national tragedy and something that needs prioritisation. In Ireland, we clearly still have a US car-centric attitude with people completely disinterested in the issue. However I’ve noticed a lot more interest in the last few years, which informed the debate that most likely lead to these changes being implemented.

What value does it bring to this country to exclude certain people from the ability to transfer from bus to rail to bus, etc.? Point to point ticketing is obsolete- it’s a 20th century fare model. While in the next train station you have a la carte choice of Dublin bus, rail, DART, Luas, etc. for 2€ with unlimited capping. As far as I can see, the NTA are blaming ‘technological limitations’ as a reason for Dublin commuter bus services not having a LEAP cap and multi-modal transport options.

While the introduction of a new multi-modal monthly ticket is progress (in terms of the NTA), the NTA has failed to grasp commuting trends in a working from home environment. Or perhaps they have grasped it fully and are actively trying to discourage public transport usage outside the Dublin City zone to preserve the integrity of these routes (as they are already beyond the beyond swamped at rush hour). People need to grasp reality- the housing crisis is not going away in the next five years- the populations of Meath, Kildare and Wicklow will continue to rapidly accelerate. Since everything is centred around Dublin, people will need to commute there for the foreseeable future.

Scrapping the 90 minute fare in Balbriggan, Naas, and Greystones is also a tragedy.

From a higher level perspective, while it does make the fair system more equitable, nothing in this document is going to encourage significantly more public transport usage from what I’ve read.

Does anyone know if this issue may be addressed? In particular making it available to all employees and self employed.

Ill look forward to James lawless celebrating newbridge and Kildare price drop but falling to acknowledge or try put some slant on the 30% increase in sallins.

I sometimes get the train from sallins but more hazelhatch as roughly same distance away when you take into driving with and train but I prefer hazelhatch as was more parking and I go through the tunnel so better option than go via the luas. Work on the train also if quite. This increase makes my decision easier to make

€8.45 is the discounted online fare.

The single fare bought at the booking office or TVM is €10.85 (or €10.45 after 09:30).

It’s not odd at all, as Intercity return fares have always been cheaper than two singles.

There is also an off-peak promotional fare available after 09:30 Monday-Saturday and all day Sunday of €10.45 single / €11.45 day return from the ticket office / TVM.

The fare difference essentially pays for the parking in Bray or Shankill, for a more frequent service (for those of us that park and ride, and could use any of the 3 stations).

The vast majority will not change, but some may over a number of years, but the change won’t be massive as your question asked.