The current timeline to introduce contactless payments for public transport is “ridiculous” and “far too long”, a Fine Gael Councillor has said.
In a statement this week, Cllr. Aoibhinn Tormey said the rollout of contactless payments on buses, trains and trams across the capital city “needs to be prioritised and completed in a much shorter timeframe.”
“A recent report said it will take up to four years for the new system to be rolled out across Dublin transport services,” she said, adding: “It is ridiculous to ask commuters to wait so long for this system to be brought in.”
While the Councillor welcomed the Spanish firm Indra being selected to rollout the process, she said that it needs to be “urgently prioritised.”
“For years we have been calling on the National Transport Authority (NTA) to urgently introduce this system, but progress has been far too slow,” she said.
“The benefits of implementing this are enormous. It will help get people onto buses quicker, making it easier to pay without cash, and also to pay the best fare without stopping to tell the driver where they are going.
“All of this will ensure public transport runs far smoother and will benefit people all across Dublin.”
She added: “Anything that makes life easier for commuters and visitors to our capital and encourages more people to use public transport should be encouraged.”
While Tormey acknowledged that introducing new technologies is a “complicated process”, she said that “public transport users have already been waiting far too long for this to be introduced.”
“Cities all across Europe have a contactless system in place on public transport, and we need to ensure we’re in line with our EU counterparts,” she said, adding: “I’m calling on the NTA and Indra to prioritise the roll-out of next generation ticketing in Dublin, to allow passengers finally use a debit card or smartphone to pay for fares.”