Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Public service card with free travel

Options
  • 31-05-2018 8:42am
    #1
    Loughpike
    Registered Users Posts: 15 ✭


    Hi, in ten days, just after my 66 th birthday, I have a appointment with a intreo office for the PSC card, hopefully with the FT included straight away.
    It takes 5 to 10 days to get the card posted out to you I've read.
    Do you get a temporary ft card, or something, till you get the card in the post?


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    Tickityboo
    Registered Users Posts: 454 ✭✭Tickityboo


    Loughpike wrote: »
    Hi, in ten days, just after my 66 th birthday, I have a appointment with a intreo office for the PSC card, hopefully with the FT included straight away.
    It takes 5 to 10 days to get the card posted out to you I've read.
    Do you get a temporary ft card, or something, till you get the card in the post?

    No


  • Options
    #3
    Gatling
    Registered Users Posts: 40,291 ✭✭✭✭Gatling


    No free travel until you have the actual card in your hand unfortunately
    360_F_102352090_ie3kLjDIvgrT1sxVDknWCUh8PxgMYzM7.jpg




  • Options
    #4
    howiya
    Registered Users Posts: 3,235 ✭✭✭howiya


    If you already had a PSC card they would post out an updated card with the free travel added prior to your 66th birthday but as you're only getting the card you'll have to wait until they post it out to you.


  • Options
    #5
    XPS_Zero
    Registered Users Posts: 910 ✭✭✭XPS_Zero


    No they've eliminated the cardboard one because they were fraud central. The good news is they are (shockingly for the DSP ) quite fast in getting the new cards out to you. It's not like the regular thing where DSP says "this will take 5 days" and it takes 6 months, it's more like when Revenue says something will take 5 days...it will actually take 5 days.


    Don't forget to actually tag on the way leap card users do that's how the inspectors will know your card is still valid (that expiry on the actual card surface is just the physical cards expiry not your entitlements expiry), otherwise they have to call up the DSP infoline on the back sometimes while you sit there while they look at you and mutter "sorry" and it's kinda akward.



    Also remember if you are going outside the DART zone you have to get an actual paper ticket from the counter.


  • Options
    #6
    cython
    Registered Users Posts: 4,758 ✭✭✭cython


    XPS_Zero wrote: »
    No they've eliminated the cardboard one because they were fraud central. The good news is they are (shockingly for the DSP ) quite fast in getting the new cards out to you. It's not like the regular thing where DSP says "this will take 5 days" and it takes 6 months, it's more like when Revenue says something will take 5 days...it will actually take 5 days.


    Don't forget to actually tag on the way leap card users do that's how the inspectors will know your card is still valid (that expiry on the actual card surface is just the physical cards expiry not your entitlements expiry), otherwise they have to call up the DSP infoline on the back sometimes while you sit there while they look at you and mutter "sorry" and it's kinda akward.



    Also remember if you are going outside the DART zone you have to get an actual paper ticket from the counter.

    Surely you technically mean the short-hop/Leap zone - there are no DARTs on the western routes of this zone, nor at the extremities of the north/south lines (Balbriggan/Kilcoole)?


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    XPS_Zero
    Registered Users Posts: 910 ✭✭✭XPS_Zero


    cython wrote: »
    Surely you technically mean the short-hop/Leap zone - there are no DARTs on the western routes of this zone, nor at the extremities of the north/south lines (Balbriggan/Kilcoole)?


    Yes I do mean that, but I was trying to simply it for someone who is clearly not a transport nerd/geek/anorak like us. Most normal people don't have a clue what the SHZ is or where it ends even though they should in theory, because it's so poorly advertised, it's not even made clear on the websites and I've never seen a poster of it at the stations.


    You can get a grey DSP ticket from any station on the island of ireland TO any station on the island of Ireland even if it's inside the SHZ, so I decided to say DART instead of SHZ to simplify it as a better safe than sorry. If you get a ticket to Maynooth worst case scenario you have a ticket you didn't need to get. If you fail to get one to Dundalk you may end up with that one total douchebag inspector in a million (IE staff have told me they've seen this and warned me to be careful about it) who will make a fuss and issue a fine or confiscate the thing.

    Incidentally, for the OPs information this is the SHZ:
    http://www.irishrail.ie/media/shz-2017-b.png


    Also remember to travel WITHIN NI (as opposed to a cross border trip from x in south to x in the north) you need your separate NI pass:

    http://agefriendly.ie/cavanagefriendly/senior-smartpass/

    You can get a load of discounts around Belfast with this pass, small scale stuff 10% off, free tea etc but it's nice touch if you're on a pension.


Advertisement