ALL CHILDREN UNDER the age of nine can now travel on public transport for free.

The updated Transport for Ireland (TFI) Child Leap Card, launched today, means children aged between five and eight will be able to travel on public transport without paying.

Until now, free travel only applied to kids under five, a measure introduced in 2017. Now, almost 236,000 children can avail of the free travel.

The change was first announced in Budget 2025 last year, with pledges made by ministers in May to introduce the change by the third quarter of this year.

It’s part of a wider push to make public transport cheaper and more attractive, according to Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien.

O’Brien said the move will help families cut costs and get children used to buses, trains and trams from an early age.

“This expansion will benefit almost 236,000 additional children and their families by providing free travel for under-9s, while also laying the foundations for lifelong sustainable travel habits,” O’Brien said.

Junior Transport Ministers Seán Canney and Jerry Buttimer also welcomed the change, pointing out that it should make life easier for parents, especially those juggling school runs and family trips in rural areas.

“It’s also about giving the next generation the confidence to see public transport as their natural first choice,” Canney said.

It’s the latest in a series of public transport fare changes. It follows the 20 per cent price cut in 2023, the Young Adult Leap Card, and the expansion of the Dublin Commuter Zone, which reduced fares for longer journeys into the city.