Cork bus services will introduce 90-minute flat fare from August
The change will allow commuters to change freely between buses in a 90-minute window once the initial fare is paid via a Leap card.
It will be implemented on Cork city bus services in August, and later, in 2025, the fare will stretch to rail services between Kent, Little Island and Glounthane stations.
From 2026, distance-based commuter bus fares will apply in a concentric commuter zone outside Cork extending to 30km from the city centre.
Cork city bus services will provide a Leap card validator on each bus. The equipment will be separate from the driver's terminal and will allow commuters to board without the need to go to the driver.
The new validators were intended to be available on buses from August. However, this has been delayed due to software and technical reasons.
Green Party councillor for Cork City North East, Oliver Moran, said the changes will benefit commuters.
"A flat 90-minute fare means people not being punished for changing services, even different kinds of services,' Cllr Moran said.
'Although it's been delayed, moving to a tag-on type system away from the driver means buses boarding faster.
'That's going to help with queuing times at busy stops like Patrick's Street, Kent Station, and Clontarf Street. It means in overall journey times a bus driver can travel faster too along a route.'
The Green councillor believes public transport will provide the future of commuting in Cork.
"In the next five to ten years, we need to draw more people onto public transport in preparation for high-frequency commuter rail, BusConnects, and eventually the Luas,' Cllr Moran said.
'Public transport has to be the go-to choice for commuting in the city in that time period.'
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