Varadkar signals rise in CIÉ fares

1huge1

From RTE.ie http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0622/cie-business.html

Transport Minister Leo Varadkar has said there will have to be fare increases and reductions in service at CIÉ.

Speaking on Morning Ireland, he said the State transport company's losses for last year were not as bad as in 2009, but it still lost €50m.

He said CIÉ provided a good service in many areas, but faced problems including falling passenger numbers, a pension deficit and a reduction in State subsidies.

The Minister said the level of fare increases was yet to be determined, but would depend on how much could be saved in cost cuts, and how many more people were encouraged to use public transport.

Yesterday the Minister appointed new chairpersons to CIÉ and of its three constituent companies, Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann. Two of those posts were filled from people who had responded to a public advertisement.

The Minister also said there was no appointment yet to fill the chairperson's vacancy at the Dublin Airport Authority, but he expected one in the next few weeks. .

Niles

Surely they will hold off on any fare increases until next year? Iarnród Éireann and Dublin Bus only had increases earlier this year, although for some reason or other Bus Éireann's application for a fare increase appears (so far anyway) to have been refused by the NTA.

snappieT

falling passenger numbers

will have to be fare increases and reductions in service

:')
Flawless business sense.

Captain Chaos

Someone needs to back to supply and demand class 101. Not the loco class mind.

Niles

1. Increase fares.
2. ???
3. Profit.

PseudoFamous

Niles wrote: »

1. Increase fares.
2. ???
3. Profit.

Now, that business plan is a little simplistic.

They reduce services too.

dowlingm

Niles wrote: »

1. Increase fares.
2. ???
3. Profit.

1. Increase fares.
2. Reduce services.
3. Reduce speeds.
4. Expand the DMU fleet size.
5. ????
6. Profit.

Fixed it for you.

sdanseo

Ah, another CIÉ thread. The nation's favourite entrepenurial basket case. Losing money since 1950, a proud and unbroken tradition :rolleyes:

Thought Leo would have more sense.

antoobrien

sdeire wrote: »

Ah, another CIÉ thread. The nation's favourite entrepenurial basket case. Losing money since 1950, a proud and unbroken tradition :rolleyes:

Thought Leo would have more sense.

He does. The government know that if people leave cars they'll lose more in excise, carbon tax & vat than they'll 'gain' in the reduction to the CIE subvention.

donkey balls

I do be up in Belfast on a regular basis and noticed an advert for NI bus&train services advertising a reduction in fares.

thebman

It already costs a lot TBH. I'm guessing car tax will go up in budget to encourage us to use public transport too with reduced services and eliminate the cost rise in public transport encouraging car use.

I'd say the main reason for the drop in passenger numbers is the cost of the service and people not having jobs so they don't commute and can't afford the fee's to go into town when unemployed.

I think the paid parking was a good idea though as so many people were driving to the car parks that lived just down the road which has now stopped so I'd say it has improved a lot of peoples health.

markpb

Public transport might not be great in Dublin but no-one can call it expensive, at least not for commuters. An annual Dublin Bus ticket is €1,000 normally, €690 for people on standard rate of tax and €480 for people on the higher rate. At it's best, it's €1.30 per calendar day or €2.18 per work day (assuming you never use it at weekends and take 20 days annual leave). There's no way you'd run a car for anything close to €2.18 per day.