Sweeping changes to bus fares will take effect from Monday for Bus Éireann and Go-Ahead Ireland services in Dublin and surrounding areas.
The changes, which are part of a new Transport For Ireland (TFI) zonal structure, will result in some fares decreasing, some increasing and some remaining unchanged.
New daily, weekly and monthly offerings for Leap card customers, based on zones, are also being rolled out. These cover journeys within a radius of some 50km from Dublin city centre.
The price changes are being brought in as part of the National Transport Authority’s (NTA) latest “fares determination” plan, which it said would allow fares to be determined “on a more equitable and easy-to-understand basis”. Bus and rail fares did not align with each other under the previous system but they will be “fairer and more consistent” under this new “single structure”, TFI says.
The bus fare changes follow an overhaul of rail fares in the capital and beyond in early May and the introduction of a new zonal structure, which breaks the city and commuter areas as far as Kildare Town, Rathdrum and Navan into four based on proximity to the city centre.
The “TFI 90-minute fare” for journeys under an hour and a half within the new zone 1 – covering areas within a 23km radius of central Dublin – stays at €2 for adults, €1 for young adults/students and €0.65 for children with Leap cards.
For Dublin commuter bus services operated by Bus Éireann and Go-Ahead, which are not eligible for the 90-minute fare, the fare for zone 1 travel will be €2.40 for adults and €1.20 for young adults, students and children using Leap cards. The NTA says payment by Leap card offers the best available value for commuters.
The daily zone 1 fare cap will be €6 for adults, €3 for young adults/students and €1.95 for child Leap cards. The weekly cap will be €24 for adults, €12 for young adults/students and €7.80 for child Leap cards.
Zone 1 has monthly tickets, priced at €96 per adult and €48 per young adult/child for all Leap card holders. Annual tickets, priced at €960, are available for adult Leap card customers.
Zone 2 covers areas including Blessington, Gormanston, Skerries, Kilcock, Sallins and Naas, Greystones and Kilcoole. From next week, Leap card adult single bus fares in zone 2 will cost €3.70, while young adult/student/child card holders will pay €1.85.
Zone 3 covers areas including Trim, Drogheda, Enfield, Newbridge and Wicklow Town. Here, adult bus fares will cost €5.30, while young adult/student/child card holders will pay €2.65.
There will be an increase on the single Leap fare from Newtownmountkennedy to Dublin from €2.80 to €3.70. Meanwhile, the adult fare from Wicklow Town to Dublin is set to decrease from €6.16 to €5.30.
There is no change to fares on bus services in Wicklow that are part of the Dublin city bus network, such as the L1, L2, L3, L14, L15, 45, 45a, X1 and X2.
Zone 4 includes areas such as Navan, Kildare Town and Rathdrum. Adult bus fares in this zone are priced at €3.70 under the new plan, while young adult, student and child card holders will pay €3.15.
The fare revisions will take effect on bus services in Kildare, including the 120, 125 and 126, and on bus services in Meath including the 101/X, 103/X, 105/X, 107, 108, 109/A/B/X, 111/A and NX.
The new adult Leap fare from Amiens Stre to Newbridge is decreasing from €6.16 to €5.30. The fare for the journey from Newbridge to UCD is also dropping, from €6.16 to €5.30.
However, Leap customers travelling from Edenderry to Dublin city centre will see an increase from €7.35 to €8.10.
Fares on services operating in Kildare as part of the Dublin city bus network to Leixlip, Celbridge and Maynooth will not change. This includes the C1, C2, C3, C4, W6, L58, L59 and 52.
There will be an increase on the single Leap fare from Navan to Dublin from €5.60 to €6.30 and from €7.70 to €8.10 for Athboy.
The single Leap fare from Ashbourne to Dublin is to decrease from €3.36 to €2.40, while the fare from Ratoath drops from €3.64 to €2.40. The fare from Dunshaughlin is to fall from €4.06 to €3.70. Customers from Trim will also see their fare reduce from €7.35 to €5.30.
For the first time, Leap products will cover travel on town bus services in Balbriggan, Drogheda and Navan.
