16 yr old school student is charged adult fare by Iarnrod Éireann

tuisginideach

I have just been looking at the Iarnród Éireann website as I wanted to book 2 single tickets for a 16 and 17 yr olds to travel to south of country. Eventaully I rang them re fares. 16 and 17 yr olds are charged ADULT fares (unless they have a €13 iConnect card each which will expire in Dec) but if they are in college at 17, they can get student fares! Isn't that absolutely ridiculous? I can't believe that.

El Tarangu

tuisginideach wrote: »

I have just been looking at the Iarnród Éireann website as I wanted to book 2 single tickets for a 16 and 17 yr olds to travel to south of country. Eventaully I rang them re fares. 16 and 17 yr olds are charged ADULT fares (unless they have a €13 iConnect card each which will expire in Dec) but if they are in college at 17, they can get student fares! Isn't that absolutely ridiculous? I can't believe that.

If there was no requirement for ID to show that they were under 18, everyone up to 25 would be claiming they were 17.

tuisginideach

No problem with requirement - they each have a passport - not an acceptable form of ID apparently!

Tombo2001

So why aren't student fares available to students?

Tombo2001

If its a once off thing then no point losing sleep over it.

If its going to cost you a lot of money, then I would bring it to your local TD.

tuisginideach

It's a once off thing for me but is it any wonder that IE are in trouble if they can't offer a fare structure that would entice people to travel ... and in regards to your first question, a student fare is available to a 3rd level student, but a schoolchild fare only covers to age 15. I haven't met many 3rd level college students age 16 or even 17.

bk

Yes, Irish Rail fare structures make little sense.

Depends where they are going, but check out some of the private bus companies, just as fast and much cheaper with far less fapping about.

Cork - Aircoach, GoBE
Limerick - Dublin Coach

tuisginideach

Thanks bk

goingnowhere

It avail of student fare you MUST prove you are in full time education

ID from a third level institute, international USIT card, translink Student card, Student travel card (which is available to both 2nd and 3rd level students over 16) are accepted.

The fares offered for intercity travel by train are significantly discounted

Kimbot

tuisginideach wrote: »

It's a once off thing for me but is it any wonder that IE are in trouble if they can't offer a fare structure that would entice people to travel ... and in regards to your first question, a student fare is available to a 3rd level student, but a schoolchild fare only covers to age 15. I haven't met many 3rd level college students age 16 or even 17.

In fairness I would have been just gone 17 going to college if my health didnt go to pot for a while.

tuisginideach

I understand that, but the school swipe card (which does not show d.o.b. nor expiry date) is not acceptable, even with a passport.

tuisginideach

jonnycivic wrote: »

In fairness I would have been just gone 17 going to college if my health didnt go to pot for a while.

Yes, and then you would have had a legitimate student card so no problem claiming student fare.

magicbastarder

is a 'student ticket' generally accepted as being for a passenger of student age, or for students to get to work/college?

GM228

tuisginideach wrote: »

Eventaully I rang them re fares. 16 and 17 yr olds are charged ADULT fares (unless they have a €13 iConnect card each which will expire in Dec) but if they are in college at 17, they can get student fares! Isn't that absolutely ridiculous? I can't believe that.

This is pretty standard accross Europe and indeed the rest of the world, in fact many EU/EEA countries require an adult rail fare from 12, 13 or 14+.

Only a few EU/EEA countries - Ireland, UK, Denmark, Norway and Sweden offer child fares up to 15 and the only other country which offers higher is Finland up to 16.

GM228

magicbastarder wrote: »

is a 'student ticket' generally accepted as being for a passenger of student age, or for students to get to work/college?

A passenger who is a student (2nd and 3rd level) with a student/college ID.

Infini

16 has always been the adult fare point. There has been some confusion since thr child leap card thing started as that has a higher cutoff of 19 but for regular tickets 16 is adult. Student tickets need a student card to be able to get them as well and theyre mainline and weeklys only.

wordofwarning

GM228 wrote: »

A passenger who is a student (2nd and 3rd level) with a student/college ID.

Who has to pay €12 for a compulsory travelcard.

ED E

wordofwarning wrote: »

Who has to pay ?12 for a compulsory travelcard.

Yes, but only because the 2nd levels/DoE wont provide them with ID.

magicbastarder

Infini wrote: »

16 has always been the adult fare point.

makes sense, since 16 is the legal school leaving age, so it's the age at which (strictly speaking) you can no longer assume someone is a student.

Cookie_Monster

magicbastarder wrote: »

makes sense, since 16 is the legal school leaving age, so it's the age at which (strictly speaking) you can no longer assume someone is a student.

except it doesn't, at all. The state says you are not an adult until 18 and are denied a whole host of rights until then. Why DB think they can state another age isn't really justified.

magicbastarder

i think you're mixing up the categories there. you can be an adult and a student. 'student' does not mean 'not an adult'.

Cookie_Monster

magicbastarder wrote: »

i think you're mixing up the categories there. you can be an adult and a student. 'student' does not mean 'not an adult'.

oops, you're right. replace 'student' with 'child' in that.

which then makes it kinda irrelevant to the topic at hand...

GM228

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

except it doesn't, at all. The state says you are not an adult until 18 and are denied a whole host of rights until then. Why DB think they can state another age isn't really justified.

Yes the state recognises your a child when under 18 (bar rare exceptions where you are considered an adult when at a younger age - i.e if you marry when under the age of 18 under an Exemption Order), but the transport companies don't state your a child under a different age, stating when a fare applies is not the same as saying you are a child/adult or not.

They are entitled to do so and are not denying you of or giving you any extra rights associated with the age of adulthood.

Cookie_Monster

GM228 wrote: »

Yes the state recognises your a child when under 18 (bar rare exceptions where you are considered an adult when at a younger age - i.e if you marry when under the age of 18 under an Exemption Order), but the transport companies don't state your a child under a different age, stating when a fare applies is not the same as saying you are a child/adult or not.

They are entitled to do so and are not denying you of or giving you any extra rights associated with the age of adulthood.

while legally that may be so its also pretty pedantic. If you are a child in the eyes of the state until 18 you should be able to avail of child rate for fares etc to that same age.
I know it'll never change but it is one of those annoying age related discrimination things that always seem to fly under the radar.

Victor

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

except it doesn't, at all. The state says you are not an adult until 18 and are denied a whole host of rights until then. Why DB think they can state another age isn't really justified.

I imagine it dates from a time when many 16 years olds would have left school and were working.