Free public transport 'would see a fall-off in walking and cycling'

The NTA report suggests making public transport such as buses free of charge could cause a 1% drop in the number of car journeys but would reduce walking and cycling by 7% to 13%. File picture: Denis Minihane

Free public transport would only lead to a 1% drop in the number of motorists using their cars but would see a significant drop-off in people choosing to walk or cycle, an independent analysis has found.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) report, carried out by Ernst & Young, said that findings broadly correlated with international research, with fewer people than hoped opting to leave their cars and travel by the likes of buses.