Is it fair that our children are charged so much for getting the bus?

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo

There's over a million fully grown adults in this country who travel on buses and trains completely free, that's a fair percentage of our total adult population. Why is it so that children, who have no income of their own are charged about 75% of the cost of an adult ticket while so many fully grown adults who have an income of at least €188 per week are charged nothing.

If EVERYONE paid something, then children could pay a little less and the fully grown adults who actually pay for their tickets and whose money funds our whole transport network could pay a little less too.

Children can't vote, the over one million adults who have a free travel card can, but do any of you think that this is fair?

Banjo String

Very good point actually.

I rarely get a bus, but are you telling me if I was on the dole/pension, my travel would be free, but if I had 3 kids with me, I'd have to pay for them

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

Banjo String wrote: »

Very good point actually.

I rarely get a bus, but are you telling me if I was on the dole/pension, my travel would be free, but if I had 3 kids with me, I'd have to pay for them

Pension yes, dole no. Just because you're unemployed doesn't mean you get free travel.

Sunglasses Ron

The Cunning Linguist wrote: »

Pension yes, dole no. Just because you're unemployed doesn't mean you get free travel.

So where's this million figure from? I'm guessing pensioners number, what, 600,000 of our population?

Banjo String

The Cunning Linguist wrote: »

Pension yes, dole no. Just because you're unemployed doesn't mean you get free travel.

Yeah, i knew pensioners got a free pass at a certain age (even works on the Enterprise, dublin/Belfast iirc) but was unsure about unemployed people.

Phoebas

Banjo String wrote: »

Very good point actually.

I rarely get a bus, but are you telling me if I was on the dole/pension, my travel would be free, but if I had 3 kids with me, I'd have to pay for them

I think the OAP free travel allows you to bring a companion along for free. Not sure if it can be a child.
People on the dole don't get free travel afaik.

I think free OAP travel is only available off peak so its mostly using spare capacity. In rural areas it helps to sustain some services that otherwise wouldn't be sustainable but are a real lifeline to the people who use them.

Celly Smunt

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

Why is it so that children, who have no income of their own are charged about 75% of the cost of an adult ticket.

Its not 75%

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

while so many fully grown adults who have an income of at least €188 per week are charged nothing.

Since when?

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

If EVERYONE paid something, then children could pay a little less and the fully grown adults who actually pay for their tickets and whose money funds our whole transport network could pay a little less too

They do,its called taxation and higher fares.

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

Children can't vote, the over one million adults who have a free travel card can, but do any of you think that this is fair?

By that you mean penalise pensioners and the disabled yeah?

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

Sunglasses Ron wrote: »

So where's this million figure from? I'm guessing pensioners number, what, 600,000 of our population?

Why are you asking me, I never mentioned one million anything. People with a disability get a travel pass too, add that into your calculations.

pickarooney

It's ridiculous. When my father travels with my five year old she pays and he doesn't.

punisher5112

Hi op.

Children travel for free till 4years old then pay a fare on leap €0.70 during school hours and up to 1330 on Saturdays.
Normal times now after 19.00 they will pay €0.95 or €1.15 depending on how far they go.
Also there is a daily and weekly cap so they only spend so much no matter how much extra they use the bus.

Social Welfare Free Travel is given as you know to pensioners, persons with disabilities, persons on a certain income and certain family circumstances, drug addicts are also handed free travel, unemployed and single mothers depending on income also a lot from the Roma community are being given free travel also.

Oap pass depending on the one they applied for can have card holder only travel, companion who has to be 16 or over and lastly spouse/civil/partner/ cohabitant.
These 3 different categories are across the board anyone could have them from what I see out there.

kneemos

Thank God somebody is thinking about the children.

Banjo String

kneemos wrote: »

Thank God somebody is thinking about the children.

Whats Gary Glitter got to do with this thread?

Phoebas

punisher5112 wrote: »

Hi op.

Children travel for free till 4years old then pay a fare on leap €0.70 during school hours and up to 1330 on Saturdays.
Normal times now after 19.00 they will pay €0.95 or €1.15 depending on how far they go.
Also there is a daily and weekly cap so they only spend so much no matter how much extra they use the bus.

Social Welfare Free Travel is given as you know to pensioners, persons with disabilities, persons on a certain income and certain family circumstances, drug addicts are also handed free travel, unemployed and single mothers depending on income also a lot from the Roma community are being given free travel also.

Under what schemes are the unemployed and the Roma getting free travel?

punisher5112

Phoebas wrote: »

Under what schemes are the unemployed and the Roma getting free travel?

I don't work for social welfare so probably best ask them.
I am just telling as is that's what's going on out there.

Don't forget also the many fraudulent passes going around.

Phoebas

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

Children can't vote, the over one million adults who have a free travel card can, but do any of you think that this is fair?

Children do pay a lower fare.

MRnotlob606

i want to be happy for evrerybody

Celly Smunt

punisher5112 wrote: »

I don't work for social welfare so probably best ask them.
I am just telling as is that's what's going on out there..

But its not going on out there.

Phoebas

punisher5112 wrote: »

I don't work for social welfare so probably best ask them.
I am just telling as is that's what's going on out there.

I'll rephrase.
Why do you think that the Roma community and unemployed people (and single mothers) on low incomes get free travel?

It sounds like an urban myth to me.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

punisher5112 wrote: »

I don't work for social welfare so probably best ask them.
I am just telling as is that's what's going on out there.

Don't forget also the many fraudulent passes going around.

I heard that the social pay for taxis for those Romas because it's against their culture to get the bus.

And if you're a junkie you can claim 7 free hand jobs a year off the public health nurse.

Riesen_Meal

punisher5112 wrote: »

I don't work for social welfare so probably best ask them.
I am just telling as is that's what's going on out there.

Don't forget also the many fraudulent passes going around.

Gibberish....

If you are referring to people with mental issues and disabilities - they are allowed free travel...

I can assure you Romanian Gyspies are not, I saw a family of them who live local to me paying on the bus just like everyone else...

kneemos

MRnotlob606 wrote: »

i want to be happy for evrerybody

Leave here so.

foggy_lad

punisher5112 wrote: »

Hi op.
Social Welfare Free Travel is given as you know to pensioners, persons with disabilities, persons on a certain income and certain family circumstances, drug addicts are also handed free travel, unemployed and single mothers depending on income also a lot from the Roma community are being given free travel also.

Oap pass depending on the one they applied for can have card holder only travel, companion who has to be 16 or over and lastly spouse/civil/partner/ cohabitant.
These 3 different categories are across the board anyone could have them from what I see out there.

Mostly incorrect!

"Persons on a certain income or family circumstances" might get it if they meet the criteria but income is not a deciding factor and neither is family circumstances.

Being unemployed or a single mother or Roma or a drug addict will not get you a pass but having serious mental or other health issues will! Most drug addicts had serious preexisting mental health issues.

If a person is married or in a civil partnership they may have their spouse partner included and named on their pass but companion passes are only issued on medical grounds.

More information here.

http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/204_Free-Travel.aspx

And

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/extra_social_welfare_benefits/free_travel.html

foggy_lad

punisher5112 wrote: »

I don't work for social welfare so probably best ask them.
I am just telling as is that's what's going on out there.

Don't forget also the many fraudulent passes going around.

You work for one of the CIE group of companies don't you? and with this level of ignorance of the free travel scheme within these companies no wonder there is fraud and Roma gypsies and many others being allowed free travel while passes are rarely if ever checked!


Now to answer the op, children get a concessionary fare already and only pay half fare or less with a leap card. If I had my way they would not be allowed on public transport without paying full fare(or only getting half a seat) and being gagged.

punisher5112

foggy_lad wrote: »

You work for one of the CIE group of companies don't you? and with this level of ignorance of the free travel scheme within these companies no wonder there is fraud and Roma gypsies and many others being allowed free travel while passes are rarely if ever checked!

Just telling you all what I see daily that is all.

I already know what pass is what and all that I didn't want to go into too muchh detail as certain people get upset and this seems to have happened already.

I does depend on income in the family and also family circumstances as lets say your in care they travel for free and I didn't bring this up as I am not having a go or attacking this.

I am for the whole system changing and stop the fraud as we are all been laughed at.

Just because some of you see some Roma gypsies paying like 1 said and like the rest of us you said more often then not they don't pay the fare to where they are going and always pay with a hand full of coppers to a lower value to what they say.

The red pass use to be for mental illnes which was then just given out to all as the colours were withdrawn.

Drug addicts and recovering addicts all have passes only maybe a few have not applied.

I am just telling what I see and if you want the whole correct wording of everything look up social welfare or citizens info for which I do know.

Please don't have a go at me as I am not having a go at any of you.
Thanks

Oops69

Of course none of our pensioners ever paid the sixty percent tax rates of the late seventies to mid eighties .

foggy_lad

Oops69 wrote: »

Of course none of our pensioners ever paid the sixty percent tax rates of the late seventies to mid eighties .

Or had to pay 16% interest on their mortgages!

foggy_lad

punisher5112 wrote: »

Just telling you all what I see daily that is all.

I already know what pass is what and all that I didn't want to go into too muchh detail as certain people get upset and this seems to have happened already.

I does depend on income in the family and also family circumstances as lets say your in care they travel for free and I didn't bring this up as I am not having a go or attacking this.

I am for the whole system changing and stop the fraud as we are all been laughed at.

Just because some of you see some Roma gypsies paying like 1 said and like the rest of us you said more often then not they don't pay the fare to where they are going and always pay with a hand full of coppers to a lower value to what they say.

The red pass use to be for mental illnes which was then just given out to all as the colours were withdrawn.

Drug addicts and recovering addicts all have passes only maybe a few have not applied.

I am just telling what I see and if you want the whole correct wording of everything look up social welfare or citizens info for which I do know.

Please don't have a go at me as I am not having a go at any of you.
Thanks

If that is what you see daily you need your eyes tested.

Tiddlypeeps

Why would we give free travel to children who's parents are well able to afford the fare?

punisher5112

foggy_lad wrote: »

If that is what you see daily you need your eyes tested.

why fog what's wrong with my eyes

Peregrine

Children aren't charged much at all

Do you want to show some evidence where child fares are 75% of the adult fare?

Pumpkinseeds

Why should society pay to subsidise transport for someone else's children OP? The taxpayer is already footing the bill for Child Benefit. Honestly people, if you don't want to pay for your kids please don't have any. I'm sick to death of parents bitching that they get a rough deal.