Call for free public transport pilot scheme for Galway City

From this week’s Galway City Tribune – The 20% reduction in bus fares has been welcomed by Mayor Colette Connolly but she has now called for a ‘free’ public transport scheme to be piloted in the city.

The Mayor told the Galway City Tribune that while the reduction in fares was ‘a welcome move and a step in the right direction’, far more could be done to encourage people to use public transport.

“I think that Galway City would be an absolutely ideal place to trial a pilot scheme for a free public transport initiative.

“We have to get more people to start using public transport which has been just too dear for far too long. A fare from Eyre Square to Shantalla costing around €2.70 is just too much,” she said.

On city services outside of Dublin – including Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford – the TFI (Transport for Ireland) Leap fare has now dropped to €1.35 from €1.68.

According to TFI, while all fares are being reduced by about 20%, customers who are currently paying by cash, can make even greater savings by switching to Leap.

However, the Government came under fire from Galway Sinn Féin TD, Mairead Farrell, who pointed out that City Direct services – which serve Barna, Knocknacarra and Salthill to the city centre – are not covered by the reduction in fares.

“Realistically, this is only for subsidised public transport. Large parts of the city do not benefit from this reduction. This is completely unacceptable at a time when the cost of living is spiralling.

“At a time when the Government are telling us that in order to tackle that cost of living they are bringing in this reduction, it is completely unacceptable that there are areas of the city that are excluded from this reduction,” said Deputy Farrell.

For much of the 30,000 strong population which the private City Direct company serves, their routes are the only public transport option.

This is a shortened preview version of this article. To read the rest of the story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.