Dublin worst in Europe for affordability in public transport tickets

Research carried out by environmental campaign group, Greenpeace, found that Dublin was “the only city analysed which does not have a fixed-price long-term ticket for all means of transport and available for all passengers.” Photo: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie

Dublin has ranked the worst among 30 European capital cities when it comes to the affordability and simplicity of buying public transport tickets, a new study has found.

Research carried out by Greenpeace found that Dublin was “the only city analysed which does not have a fixed-price long-term ticket for all means of transport and available for all passengers.” 

The Irish capital scored just 36 points out of a possible 100 and was followed closely by London, Paris, and Amsterdam at the bottom of the leaderboard.

Results show that a monthly ticket here is only available for employees when the employer is joining the “tax saver programme.” All other passengers can only buy monthly subscriptions for buses, trams, and trains in Dublin separately.

Greenpeace noted that Dublin has an electronic ticketing system and for the last few months weekly payments have been capped at €32. Greenpeace has used this price as the basis for the ranking, in the absence of a monthly ticket.

Research also found that a regular price ticket in Dublin is the second highest out of all cities analysed.

It costs €3.16 per day, beating only London where the same would cost passengers at least €4.11, maybe more depending on how many zones they cross.

However, the weekly cap for students in Dublin is half of the one for adults, and pensioners can avail of free travel alongside those receiving Disability Allowance, Blind Pension, Carers Allowance and Invalidity Pension.

Commenting on the findings, Greenpeace EU transport campaigner, Lorelei Limousin said: “Affordable public transport is a necessity, but many governments, Ireland’s included, treat it like a luxury good.

“Millions of people rely on buses, trams and trains to get to work and school, to meet their families and friends, to participate in society in a sustainable way.

Governments must introduce simple and affordable ‘climate tickets’ for public transport, to cut people’s bills and to reduce the oil use driving our planet towards climate disaster.” 

Luxembourg, Valetta (Malta) and Tallinn (Estonia) all bagged the number one spot, scoring the maximum 100 points that were up for grabs.

In 2020, Luxembourg became the first country in Europe to make all public transport in the country free of charge, including trains.

Last year, Malta followed suit and made all public transport free, except express bus lines and some ferry routes, helping Valetta score top marks.

In Tallinn, public transport has been free for its residents since 2013 but non-residents and tourists still must buy tickets.

Among countries analysed, Ireland ranked 13th, receiving points only for its travel card for pensioners, those with disabilities and carers, and its VAT rate. “Apart from this, there are no best practice elements in the ticketing system,” Greenpeace says.

Apart from Luxembourg and Malta, only Austria, Germany and Hungary have introduced relatively affordable nationwide tickets, costing less than €3 per day.

Greenpeace is now encouraging all European governments to introduce affordable 'climate tickets' for all public transport.

The company has urged the European Commission to facilitate this – with a view to introducing a Europe-wide single climate ticket in the future.

“VAT on cross-border airline tickets in the EU is at zero per cent and kerosene for airplanes is not taxed, which keeps the price of polluting transport low, while climate-friendly transport remains expensive,” Greenpeace says.