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Councillors will argue that the increases work against the city's objective to move away from cars and reduce traffic and congestion, as well as emissions.
fare hikes
Dublin city councillors set to back motion calling for halt to bus and train fare hikes
Planned fare increases will see adult public transport fares rise by an average of 15%.
A MOTION CALLING for the reversal of planned public transport fare increases is set to be passed at this evening’s Dublin City Council meeting.
The meeting will hear emergency motions from People Before Profit, the Green Party, and the Social Democrats on the increases, which are due to come into effect in January.
It will see adult fares rise by an average of 15% across all forms of transport operated by the National Transport Authority (NTA). Young adult fares will also rise.
Announced last week, the move immediately proved unpopular. The NTA has been invited to appear before the Oireachtas Transport Committee on Wednesday 16 September to answer “legitimate questions” on the reasoning behind upping fares.
Councillors will argue that the increases work against the city’s objective to move away from cars and reduce traffic and congestion, as well as emissions. It will also be argued that during a cost-of-living crisis, it is unfair for people who avail of public transport to shoulder an increase in fares.
If passed, the motion will see the council write to the NTA and the Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien calling for the planned increases to be scrapped.
People Before Profit’s group leader on the council, Conor Reddy, said that Dublin is already “choked” with traffic and the move will only push people away from public transport.
“The council vote is important, but we also need pressure from outside the chamber. These increases are not inevitable,” Reddy said.
“If enough people organise and make clear that they will not accept another attack on living standards, the government and the NTA can be forced to reverse them.”
While Reddy acknowledged that “a letter won’t reverse these increases”, he told The Journal that it’s “an important step” as part of collective action against the increases.
Other Dublin councils are expected to pass similar motions next week, which Reddy said will “add serious pressure” to the campaign.
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