Independent Ireland Leader Michael Collins has hit out at proposed increases in public transport fare – which are expected to see bus and train fares increase by about 15% on average from Thursday.
“At a time when households are already under enormous pressure from the cost-of-living crisis, increasing the cost of getting to work, education, healthcare and essential services is simply the wrong approach,” he said.
“For many people, public transport is not a luxury or a lifestyle choice. It is a necessity. There are people across this country who rely on buses, trains and the Luas every day because they cannot afford to run a car. With petrol and diesel prices being driven upwards by the international energy crisis, more people are going to find themselves in exactly that position,” the West Cork TD said.
“The Government should therefore be making public transport more affordable and more accessible, not more expensive,” he said. “There is also a fundamental contradiction in the Government’s approach.”
“In recent answers to Dáil questions, the Minister has pointed to the measures introduced as part of the Government’s transport and Budget commitments – including the 90-minute fare, free travel for children up to the age of nine, and reduced fares for Young Adult Cardholders aged 19 to 25 as part of the NTA’s National Fares Strategy.”
“Those measures are welcome. But the question has to be asked: why give with one hand and take with the other?”
“What is the point of introducing cheaper fares for particular groups if, at the same time, the Government is allowing the overall cost of public transport to rise?” the Independent Ireland leader asked.
“The 90-minute fare and discounted fares for young adults are steps in the right direction. The free travel available to younger children is also welcome. But these measures should be part of a wider commitment to making public transport affordable for everyone – not used as justification for fare increases elsewhere,” he added.
“Public transport should be treated as an essential public service,” he said, “And the current international energy crisis makes that argument even stronger.”
“The war involving the United States and Israel and Iran, and the disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, has had serious consequences for global energy markets and fuel prices. The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial route for global oil supplies, and its disruption has highlighted just how vulnerable households and economies are to shocks in fossil-fuel markets,” he said.
The increases in bus and train fares are expected under new measures to be announced by the National Transport Authority on Thursday – and will an increase of about 15 per cent imposed.
The Transport for Ireland 90-minute fare, for example, will rise to €2.30 from €2.