Public transport fares need to rise to cover operating costs, NTA says

The NTA announced earlier this month that several fare types would increase. The €2 fare, which provides unlimited travel across eligible services in Dublin for 90 minutes, is due to increase to €2.30 while some fares for younger people will decrease. File picture

Public transport fees must increase due to a loss of revenue in the system, the deputy head of the National Transport Authority (NTA) has told politicians.

The NTA announced earlier this month that several fare types would increase. The €2 fare, which provides unlimited travel across eligible services in Dublin for 90 minutes, is due to increase to €2.30 while some fares for younger people will decrease.

Speaking at the Oireachtas Transport Committee on Wednesday, Hugh Creegan said revenue from passenger fares, augmented by the Public Service Obligation (PSO) funding provided by the Exchequer, pays for the operation of the TFI buses, trains and trams and that there has been no national fares increase since 2018.

"During that period, Governments have introduced a range of initiatives related to transport services, including a 20% fare reduction in 2022, a 50% discount for young adults and students, free travel for children under nine, and enhancements to the free travel schemes.

"These measures have delivered real benefits for passengers and continue to do so," he added. However, he said that at the same time, passenger demand has reached record levels, with more than 363 million journeys made on PSO-supported services in 2025.

"Fare revenue has not kept pace with the cost of operating and expanding services.

"Despite increased passenger numbers, fare revenue fell from €667 million in 2019 to €576 million in 2025, while operating costs increased from €971 million to €1.379 billion over the same period. As a result, fare revenue's contribution to operating costs has declined significantly."

At the committee, the NTA's director of Public Transport Services, Jeremy Ryan, said the issues were not down to a "more inefficient network". "It's a combination of background inflation and growth in service provision," he said.

Mr Creegan also rejected the suggestion from Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins that fare increases could be avoided by finding savings within the NTA itself.

Fine Gael TD Grace Boland was critical of the NTA's data keeping, saying she did not believe that decisions were being made on "an evidence-led basis or on a transparent basis". She said that fare increases had been made at stations which had already seen drops in passenger numbers.

• Paul Hosford, deputy political editor