Fares to increase on CIÉ and Luas

Rail, bus and Luas fare increases are being introduced next month to “protect delivery services”, the National Transport Authority (NTA) said today.

The increases, to be introduced by December 1st at the earliest, will apply to cash, Leap and pre-paid ticket fares across all contracted public transport services provided by CIÉ and the Railway Procurement Agency (Luas).

Fares for Dublin Bus will rise by as much as 17.9 per cent for short trips of less than three stages, while longer journeys will be 5.7 per cent more expensive. Leap prices will increase by 12 per cent and 2.1 per cent for the same journeys while prepaid tickets, such as the Rambler 5-day child ticket and the Travel-90 10-Journey ticket will increase from between 2.7 per cent to 16.8 per cent.

Bus Éireann fares will increase by an average of 6 per cent across all ticket types. Leap card, a top-up card for use on public transport in Dublin, will be phased in for Bus Éireann services from early 2013.

Irish Rail Dublin commuter cash fares will increase by 9.1 per cent (Zone G adult single) to 14 per cent (Zone A adult return). Inter-city fares will increase by 0.9 per cent to 3.9 per cent.

Some Luas fares will remain unchanged, while others will increase by up to 5.7 per cent; an overall average of 2 per cent (weighted by sales volume).

The NTA urged customers to switch to Leap Cards, saying the new higher Leap fares will still be "as cheap or cheaper than the current cash fares, and substantially cheaper than the new cash fares".

Customers living in cities other than Dublin, where Leap cards are unavailable, could save money by purchasing prepaid multiple-journey tickets, the NTA said.

This year auditors to CIÉ warned about the health of its finances after the the rail section of the company recorded a deficit of €22 million after receiving a subvention for current spending of €149 million.