Free Travel expansion!

Mrs OBumble

Ref: http://www.transportforireland.ie/routes-828-975-concessionary-fares-removed-free-travel-pass-holders/

Routes 828 and 975 – Concessionary Fares removed for Free Travel Pass holders

The National Transport Authority, in conjunction with the Department of Social Protection, is pleased to confirm that from Monday May 11th 2015, holders of Free Travel Passes will travel free of charge on the following Transport for Ireland public bus services:

Route 828 (Cashel to Portlaoise) – operated by M&A Coaches
Route 975 (Cavan Longford) - operated by Wharton’s Travel.

See more at: http://www.transportforireland.ie/routes-828-975-concessionary-fares-removed-free-travel-pass-holders/#sthash.vMmyzZFi.dpuf

Is thought there was a decision a while ago that no further services woudl be added to the scheme?

Gatling

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Ref: http://www.transportforireland.ie/routes-828-975-concessionary-fares-removed-free-travel-pass-holders/




Is thought there was a decision a while ago that no further services woudl be added to the scheme?

That was apparently so .
But 2 individual routes wonder if a local TD pushed for it

Sean9015

Hmm. Why should people in, say, Abbeyleix lose access to the free travel scheme because Bus Éireann decided to effectively compete with itself on the M8 corridor? They removed local stops from the X8 due to "competition", a significant part of which is their joint goBE service put on to compete with Aircoach. If we are to have a free - or concessionary - travel scheme then it should be available on all bus services, regardless of operator. If this is not acceptable, scrap the scheme and make welfare payments in leiu for the user to spend on travel as they see fit.

In any event, it will be a paper transfer, at least on the 828, as it is NTA funded.

foggy_lad

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Ref: http://www.transportforireland.ie/routes-828-975-concessionary-fares-removed-free-travel-pass-holders/




Is thought there was a decision a while ago that no further services woudl be added to the scheme?

I don't have exact figures for those services but any time I have seen the 828 in Portlaoise it was empty and the driver has told me he regularly has no passengers. I suppose the NTA decided that they are paying for the service anyway and paying for an empty bus running the routes might fall foul of the public accounts committee when for a small increase in budget they can remove the concessionary fares and have a lot more people using the service.


It might also be part of a bigger picture with the recent inclusion of Wex-link local demand services as part of the new bus eireann 132 bus route between Bunclody and Tullow