NTA Fare Determinations for 2017

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by grainne whale

Cheaper for the occasional traveller to take the bus.

And given that the bus is slower, that's probably fairer too.

While the fare increase is frustrating for anyone that has to pay it, it does make sense that the fares are all correctly based on the distance travelled.

Someone in IE clearly goofed many years ago in setting up the fares on the Maynooth line and Leixlip was put into the wrong fare zone for travel to/from the city centre, among many other station combinations.

[grainne whale]

Originally Posted by berneyarms

And given that the bus is slower, that's probably fairer too.

While the fare increase is frustrating for anyone that has to pay it, it does make sense that the fares are all correctly based on the distance travelled.

Someone in IE clearly goofed many years ago in setting up the fares on the Maynooth line and Leixlip was put into the wrong fare zone for travel to/from the city centre, among many other station combinations.

Nope, the bus is much quicker (66X) with bus lanes and far cheaper fares especially with Leap.

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by grainne whale

Nope, the bus is much quicker (66X) with bus lanes and far cheaper fares especially with Leap.

What about during the rest of the day when most occasional travellers would be travelling?

The 66X is a very limited service only at peak hours and most users at those times would already have a period pass.

[grainne whale]

Originally Posted by berneyarms

What about during the rest of the day when most occasional travellers would be travelling?

The 66X is a very limited service only at peak hours and most users at those times would already have a period pass.

- It's still quicker - the train goes 'round the world for sport' before it gets into Conolly and even then it's a good bit away from the major shopping areas.

[Underground]

Originally Posted by berneyarms

While the fare increase is frustrating for anyone that has to pay it, it does make sense that the fares are all correctly based on the distance travelled.

I agree we should all pay the same for the same level of service. Quick electric trains every 10 mins. But the Maynooth line isn't DART, it's a realtively slow diesel service with trains only running hourly off peak.

Also, I'm confused why the NTA is moving Dublin Bus towards a single flat fare, and doing the opposite with IE fares. It's like the bus and train parts of the NTA aren't in the same office.

Anyway a 19.1% hike is still a 19.1% hike. Combined with an off-peak service that only runs once an hour, isn't any quicker than the bus, this won't encourage people to take the train.

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by Underground

I agree we should all pay the same for the same level of service. Quick electric trains every 10 mins. But the Maynooth line isn't DART, it's a realtively slow diesel service with trains only running hourly off peak.

Also, I'm confused why the NTA is moving Dublin Bus towards a single flat fare, and doing the opposite with IE fares. It's like the bus and train parts of the NTA aren't in the same office.

Anyway a 19.1% hike is still a 19.1% hike. Combined with an off-peak service that only runs once an hour, isn't any quicker than the bus, this won't encourage people to take the train.

Actually you are wrong - they are reducing the rail fare zones from six to five this year and reduced another one in recent years. They've also reduced the LUAS zones too.

If you compare the Maynooth line and Northern line, Leixlip customers were paying much less than people making a similar journey on the Northern line. That isn't fair.

However the switch should have been done more gradually than this, in the same way LUAS season tickets should have increased gradually rather than being frozen and then having a 10% hike.

[Underground]

Originally Posted by berneyarms

Actually you are wrong - they are reducing the rail fare zones from six to five this year

Yes, we're aware. Means Leixlip to Maynooth has also gone up by 17.7%!

[berneyarms]

Originally Posted by Underground

Yes, we're aware. Means Leixlip to Maynooth has also gone up by 17.7%!

Well you implied they weren't simplifying the number of rail fares - while they are in fact doing that.

There will always be winners and losers when that happens, but they should have made the change more gradual than this.

[Colm Moore]

Originally Posted by Underground

Anyway a 19.1% hike is still a 19.1% hike.

Yes, it is a steep adjustment, but it highlights how much of a discount some people were getting and the premium that others were paying. Was it fare, eh, fair that others were paying way over the odds?

[Inniskeen]

Given the continual downgrading of service quality for longer distance commuters on the northern line, it might be time to extend the cheaper inner suburban rates to Drogheda and Dundalk to reflect slow journey times, overcrowding and the use of low amenity rolling stock.