Leap card offers cheaper fares for public transport

PUBLIC transport users outside the greater Dublin area will have to wait until next year to enjoy the benefits, including cheaper fares, of the long-awaited integrated smart card which was formally launched yesterday.

The National Transport Authority, which is overseeing the introduction of the €55.4m integrated ticketing system, admitted that commuters using Bus Éireann and mainline rail services would not be able to use the new Leap card until some time in 2012 at the earliest.

NTA chairman John Fitzgerald said it had always been the intention to introduce the system on a phased basis due to the complexity of the project.