Neale Richmond
Question:372. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Transport when will the youth travel card come into effect for those that operate commercial buses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19948/22]
View answerTuesday, 26 April 2022
Questions (372)
Written answers
As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport, nor decisions on fares. It is the National Transport Authority (NTA) that has responsibility for the regulation of fares charged to passengers in respect of public transport services, provided under public service obligation (PSO) contracts.
In recognition of the importance of incentivising young people to use public transport, as part of Budget 2022 I secured €25m of funding to provide for the introduction of a young adult card (YAC) which will allow any person nationwide who is between 19 and 23 years old, to avail of an entitlement for discounted travel costs, and to increase the level of discount over and above the current student discount to an average of discount of 50% across all services, including city, intercity and rural services.
It is envisaged that the YAC will initially be made available on PSO services, and then broadened to include commercial operators at a later date. This will not only promote modal shift in the transport sector among this age group but should also contribute towards a reduced reliance on private transport with associated benefit of transport emission savings.
In light of the NTA's responsibility in this area, I have forwarded the Deputy's specific question in relation to the possible timeframe for the inclusion of commercial bus operators in the scheme, to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within ten working days.