Budget 2024: Public transport fare discounts for young people
Since Increase Leah Around An Recent And Before Pandemic In 15% 8% Shown Growth The Nearly File Passengers Picture: Ie Train The Year Users Has Covid A Of 19 Farrell/rollingnews In Data Bus
Young people up to their 26th birthday can now avail of the 50% discount in public transport fares, while the scheme has been extended for another two years.
Up until now, the discount ended when a young person reached 24 but with data showing an increase of around 15% in bus users and a nearly 8% growth in train passengers since the year before the covid-19 pandemic, the Government is convinced such incentives show it is on the right track in getting people out of cars.
The 20% reduction in public transport fares for everyone has also been extended for another year, after initially being introduced as a temporary measure to tackle the cost-of-living crisis. Transport Minister Eamon Ryan vowed that such measures "won't stop there" in the future, including free travel for children and teenagers up to 18.
"I am delighted that we can continue to extend and improve the historic fare reductions, which are now heading into their third year and particularly pleased that we could extend the 50% Young Adult Card out to 24 and 25-year-olds.
"This makes us one of the most cost-effective countries in Europe to travel as a young person. But we won’t stop there. We have also secured a commitment to review transport fares for under-18s and my ambition is that we can move towards zero-cost travel for children and teenagers in 2025," he said.
Overall, transport has been given €3.5bn in funding for the year, including €1.2bn for roads, with some €21m earmarked towards what the department calls "road safety" measures. It comes in one of the deadliest periods on Irish roads in recent years, with numerous deaths casting a cloud over communities across the country.
Some €937m has been allocated in 2024 for "the protection and renewal of the roads system", while €200m has been provided for new roads. A further €220m has been allocated for bus projects and €200m for rail across the country, the department added.
It is hoped that the funding will kickstart the slow progress of the BusConnects project across cities like Cork and Dublin, which aims to provide hundreds of kilometres of bus lanes and cycle ways, but has stalled in recent months as resistance builds to the likes of taking away car parking spaces and parts of people's gardens.
Funding for Core Bus Corridor procurement and network redesign for BusConnects Cork has been secured, Mr Ryan said.
Of the €21m in road safety funding, the likes of Cork's N20 Mahon Slip Extension in Cork will share in a €15m package, while €6m will go towards public awareness campaigns and to conduct a review and develop the driver testing curriculum.
Minister of State at the Department, Jack Chambers, said: "I am pleased that Budget 2024 prioritises keeping people safe on our roads following a very worrying increase in road fatalities with many tragedies, involving our young people in particular, shocking communities all over Ireland this year."
Cork and Limerick will be among the cities outside of Dublin to receive a share of the 101 new electric double-deck buses being purchased, while Mr Ryan said he wants to push on with progress on Cork's Commuter Rail Programme.