Dublin Bus fares to increase next year - Irish Examiner

lil5

Dublin Bus fares to increase next year - Irish Examiner-
http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/dublin-bus-fares-to-increase-next-year-522063.html

Dublin Bus fares to increase next year
Monday, September 26, 2011 - 12:36 PM

Dublin Bus fares are set to increase in the New Year, it was announced today.

The head of the National Transport Authority (NTA) said that fares will rise to compensate for the loss of a Government subsidy and a drop in passenger numbers.

It comes as the company launches a new service today to allow members of the public to check the actual arrival time of the next bus at their stop.
Chief Executive of the NTA Gerry Murphy said times are challenging - and fares have to be looked at.

However, he added, "our objective with fare increases is to keep them at a level that still keeps people on the buses."

Nothing new there ...

And I like the "... allow members of the public ..."-phrase in connection with RTPI.

goldenhoarde

Is the irish response to everything - put up the prices????? - Ever hear of efficiency and cost cutting? Would not streamlining DB and other state transport service providers not be better in the long run for the employees and consurmers alike?

Dyr

Correct me if I'm wrong but RTPI isn't a dublin bus gig.

But yea, putting prices up in a recession. Only a semi state monopoly like dublin bus could get away with it.

KD345

goldenhoarde wrote: »

Is the irish response to everything - put up the prices????? - Ever hear of efficiency and cost cutting? Would not streamlining DB and other state transport service providers not be better in the long run for the employees and consurmers alike?

There is a major cost cutting plan in place since last year at Dublin Bus. Every route is being reviewed and reworked, along with reducing the fleet size.

Stevek101

Flat fare on the Leap Card might be more appealing.

AlekSmart

Stevek101 wrote: »

Flat fare on the Leap Card might be more appealing.

I suspect you'll find that this Fare "Adjustment" will co-incide with the roll out of Leap....and guess what...Leap will offer some class of Discount.......This being Ireland,the discount will be off a new 20% higher baseline......Sheesh...:o

dermo88

My response....Thai 10 Baht coins, passed off as 2 Euro. Do it often enough, and you can afford a free Holiday to Thailand.

Thats how efficient you can be.....

cson

How hard is it to set a €3/4 standard fare and introduce an Oyster [Shamrock?] Card. I mean it works a treat with our nearest neighbour and I'd imagine you'd make significant savings from having less cash to deal with.

Paddy and Bridie both Country and City have to wake up to progress at some stage.

CIE

Anyone who didn't expect this after Network Direct's implementation...? (Anyone?)

angel01

This angers me. If they touch the bus and luas ticket again, I will have to review my options. It is already at high levels at 118 Euro FFS.

So they cut half the routes and put up prices, how wonderful are Dublin Bus :rolleyes:

LXFlyer

This came from the Minister - not Dublin Bus.

This is inevitable - if the PSO subsidy is being cut by 20% someone is going to have to make up the shortfall, no matter how much costs are cut.

I'm no happier than anyone else about this but this could be seen a mile off.

Yes they have cut back services but there was serious overcapacity. There is no point in running services where there are only handfuls of people using it - they need to get decent load factors.

Dyr

lxflyer wrote: »

This came from the Minister - not Dublin Bus.

This is inevitable - if the PSO subsidy is being cut by 20% someone is going to have to make up the shortfall, no matter how much costs are cut.

I'm no happier than anyone else about this but this could be seen a mile off.

Yes they have cut back services but there was serious overcapacity. There is no point in running services where there are only handfuls of people using it - they need to get decent load factors.

When you say its coming from pope leo, do you mean he forced a ticket price rise on dublin bus or he slashed their public funding?

Even though we always heard about how little dublin bus were getting in subsidy from joe taxpayer :pac:

LXFlyer

This is what was reported in the Irish Times yesterday from the Minister:

RISE IN PUBLIC TRANSPORT FARES: CIÉ SUBSIDY TO DROP BY 20%

Public transport fares will rise next year to compensate for a reduced subsidy from the State, according to Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar.

“The reduction in the subsidy to CIÉ over the next few years will be in the region of a 20 per cent cut so that will have to be met through a combination of fare increases, cost-cutting and cuts to services. Obviously I favour cost-cutting over higher fares or cutting services.”

He added that cash fares will increase “a good bit” to encourage people to switch to an integrated ticket, which the Minister expects to be available in 2012.

Mr Varadkar said he also supported a move towards “Ryanair-style” ticket pricing for Irish Rail where passengers are offered cheaper fares if they book far in advance.

“I think it is the right way go – it mightn’t be very popular with consumers – but from a financial point of view it is the right way to go.”

Dyr

lxflyer wrote: »

This is what was reported in the Irish Times yesterday from the Minister:

Oh right, so Pope Leo didn't stick the fares up, he's just turned off the free money tap :P

angel01

Why can't they be like anyone else running a company and raise the money themselves, instead of depending on free handouts for donkeys years.

What a sham of a company. :mad:

LXFlyer

Regardless of what you think about CIE or it's constituent companies, public transport costs money to provide - every city across Europe has subsidised public transport.

If the government are not prepared to pay, or in this case are cutting that subsidy by 20% there is only one other source of money and that is the customer.

Realistically this is only one element of the cuts that we as a nation are going to have to bear in the coming years as the government implements the IMF programme. Anyone who thinks that the services can be provided without an increase in fares if the subsidy is slashed and the fuel rebate withdrawn is not living in the real world.

SteM

angel01 wrote: »

This angers me. If they touch the bus and luas ticket again, I will have to review my options. It is already at high levels at 118 Euro FFS.

So they cut half the routes and put up prices, how wonderful are Dublin Bus :rolleyes:

I'm sure you're aware of this but would you not be able to get an annual taxsaver ticket through your work?

Cost = €567 or €815 depending on your tax rate.

SteM

lxflyer wrote: »

This came from the Minister - not Dublin Bus.

This is inevitable - if the PSO subsidy is being cut by 20% someone is going to have to make up the shortfall, no matter how much costs are cut.

I'm no happier than anyone else about this but this could be seen a mile off.

Yes they have cut back services but there was serious overcapacity. There is no point in running services where there are only handfuls of people using it - they need to get decent load factors.

Sorry, by decent load factors do you mean more people on the busses? My understanding of economics is sketchy but how does increasing fares get people back on busses (which is what's needed to get decent load factors)? Surely it's more likely to push people to their cars? Or is the thinking that even though DB will loose some custoemers they'll gain money from the people that continue to use the services?

This is an honest question, I'm not trying to be sarcastic.

LXFlyer

SteM wrote: »

lxflyer wrote: »

This came from the Minister - not Dublin Bus.

This is inevitable - if the PSO subsidy is being cut by 20% someone is going to have to make up the shortfall, no matter how much costs are cut.

I'm no happier than anyone else about this but this could be seen a mile off.

Yes they have cut back services but there was serious overcapacity. There is no point in running services where there are only handfuls of people using it - they need to get decent load factors.

Sorry, by decent load factors do you mean more people on the busses? My understanding of economics is sketchy but how does increasing fares get people back on busses (which is what's needed to get decent load factors)? Surely it's more likely to push people to their cars? Or is the thinking that even though DB will loose some custoemers they'll gain money from the people that continue to use the services?

This is an honest question, I'm not trying to be sarcastic.

I was referring to the complaint about certain bus routes being cut back with that comment rather than the impact a fare increase may have. There was overcapacity in many areas that frankly was unsustainable.

For example in my area one route was withdrawn. Where previously there were two half-full (or less) buses going into town there is now one almost full bus. That means you've reduced your costs by 50% and increased the load factor.

However, if the subsidy (which is not money for nothing but is paid to the company to provide a certain level of service) is slashed, and fuel rebates withdrawn, there is a gaping hole in the finances that cost cutting and cutbacks will not fill.

monument

It's all part of the government's plan to get more people on bicycles.

angel01

SteM wrote: »

I'm sure you're aware of this but would you not be able to get an annual taxsaver ticket through your work?

Cost = €567 or €815 depending on your tax rate.

My job need me to pay within three months and I can't afford that. I have to pay for a monthly ticket instead (which costs me 118 Euro)

the groutch

drop in passenger numbers? yeah lets increase the fares again, that'll work

charlemont

the groutch wrote: »

drop in passenger numbers? yeah lets increase the fares again, that'll work

Its the Irish way..

dowlingm

angel01 wrote: »

Why can't they be like anyone else running a company and raise the money themselves, instead of depending on free handouts for donkeys years.

What a sham of a company. :mad:

Which companies are these that will give free money for operating costs? As for capital, if transport companies borrow on the open market they will pay much more interest if unguaranteed, if guaranteed then the State might as well have borrowed the money itself. Surely after toll PPPs and minimum payments we finally know there's no such thing as a free lunch?

There is a role for the private sector - I'd like to have seen Angel Trains or Porterbrook (preferably both) in the all-Ireland 1600mm leasing market so that IE and NIR wouldn't have to spend huge sums of upfront capital on 22Ks and C4Ks but it is what it is. You certainly don't look to the capitalists when the chips are down, you go into the market when you can afford to wait for the best offer.