Brendan Burgess
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50% discount on fares
Youth Travel Card 19 to 23
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Steven Barrett
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Waste of money. It is supposed to encourage young people to use public transport instead of buying cars.
Having a great public transport system will do that. Which works better, having to wait 5 - 15 minutes for a bus that costs €2 or waiting 30-45 minutes for a bus that costs €1?
Having a great public transport system will do that. Which works better, having to wait 5 - 15 minutes for a bus that costs €2 or waiting 30-45 minutes for a bus that costs €1?
NoRegretsCoyote
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Indeed, funds would be better spent on quicker services rather than lower fares.
In effect, what this will do is abolish the current student card and treat all 19-23 yr olds as the same, so people starting work or on an apprentiship will be treated the same as students. For people starting out on work in minimum wage roles, it will be a decent saving for them.
dereko1969
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It's not either/or in this case. It's a subsidy from current expenditure, extra buses are Capital expenditure. If it helps attract more young people into getting used to using Public Transport rather than defaulting to buying a car then it's a good thing.
NoRegretsCoyote
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Yes because euros aren't fungible, right?
silverfox239
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The government has to try new ideas, this incentive will encourage younger people to think about taking public transport first and help to change the long term Irish belief of a car trip first.
And with all new ideas if the government sees good participation rates it can widen the age range, lower price further, etc. or if participation rates low they can cancel it. But at least they tried a new idea.
And with all new ideas if the government sees good participation rates it can widen the age range, lower price further, etc. or if participation rates low they can cancel it. But at least they tried a new idea.
Didn't we always use public transport if available at 19-23?? I certainly did in Dublin. However, the idea that it might make them think twice about buying a car in later life is laughable. Even in Dublin with it's public transport options, has any Government Minister tried having a family without a car??? Oh I will bring my child swimming. So that's two buses and a 20 minute walk. I will bring my pregnant wife into that hospital appointment. Another two buses and a 90 minute commute for a 20km journey. Even a 20 year old trying to attend college or a 22 year living Northside but commuting to somewhere like Sandyford is still going to choose a car.
No issue with cheap public transport for young people but cost is not what will make people choose public transport. It is availability and practicality of public transport that will make them choose it. Look at the delays now facing something like Metro North that has been talked about for 30 years at this stage. This budget measure is just a gimmick when it comes to the real problems facing public transport.
I would also say the 19-23 year olds in somewhere like Donegal with zero public transport are scratching their heads at this one....
No issue with cheap public transport for young people but cost is not what will make people choose public transport. It is availability and practicality of public transport that will make them choose it. Look at the delays now facing something like Metro North that has been talked about for 30 years at this stage. This budget measure is just a gimmick when it comes to the real problems facing public transport.
I would also say the 19-23 year olds in somewhere like Donegal with zero public transport are scratching their heads at this one....
RetirementPlan
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We certainly need more and better public transport, and BusConnects will be a big help there, but it's perhaps not all as desperate as you suggest. Anyone buying a car to travel to Sandyford from northside needs their head examined. They should be aiming to get to the Luas, either Cabra or Grangegorman or in the city centre. It's a longish journey, but you'll certainly get more done on the Luas than sitting on the M50.
Needing a car for occasional trips like hospital doesn't necessarily mean owning a car either, with GoCar and other car share schemes gaining significant traction.
Yeah because the bus and non-existent train route from somewhere like Swords to Cabra or Grangegorman or even the city centre is great.....
The M50 is painful but still the only option for a lot of commutes.
dereko1969
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There's no obligation on young people to use it.
More girls drive to secondary school than cycle.
Using Donegal as a "sure why bother if it's not going to benefit everyone" is beneath you.
Cost has been cited by a large number of respondents on every survey that's been carried out on Public Transport use, usually tied in to having a car already and the sunk cost of it, if this measure which is costing very little can delay some of those who might otherwise buy a car now then it may help them to view Public Transport in a more favourable light.
Lots of millenials aren't even getting driving licences in urban areas internationally as the cost of insurance, parking, fuel all increase.
What's your solution?
RetirementPlan
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Everywhere has connections to the city centre, and BusConnects is bringing a lot of radial connections into play too. eBikes are making longer journeys possible and allowing people who need a bit of extra help to cycle too. You'd be mad to drive to Sandyford. I used to cycle over the M50 bridge there regularly at rush hour, always amazed at those who chose to sit or crawl along for their journey.
A survey on transport policy from 2011. I am sure I can find a more recent one with a bit of research or you can provide one that says cost is the main barrier to people using public transport ahead of availability, reliability and speed.
Reasons for Not Using Public Transport
The survey asked respondents who used a car as their main mode of transport to identify on a list given to them the reasons for not choosing public transport. On a EU-wide basis, the four most important reasons were: lack of connections (72%), not as convenient (71%), low frequency (64%), and lack of reliability (54%). The remaining reasons — too expensive, lack of information on schedules, and security concerns — ranged from 50% to a low importance for security at 40%. For the four most important, the Irish found not as convenient the top reason (at 78%, 7% more than EU average), lack of connections at 71%, low frequency at 67%, and lack of reliability at 62%. In the UK, 85% found not as convenient the top reason, followed by low frequency at 73%, lack of connections at 71%, and lack of reliability at 70%.A bus from Swords into the City Centre that leaves on the Northside takes up a hour or even more some times. You then need to get to the luas stop and get the luas to Sandyford from where you then need to walk to your office. It can take up to 2 hours. I did it for two years using both public transport and driving some days. The M50 was by far the better option. As far as I know there are still only two 24 hour routes. Bus Connects is only starting so we are still miles away from public transport bringing everyone into the city centre to get to another part of Dublin.
There is no problem with making fares cheaper for young people but when it comes to public transport usage, there are bigger issues. Even without this fare reduction, using public transport was way cheaper than buying and running a car. So why do people think that people of this age will suddenly run to public transport? The people who could use public transport were already using it. This does nothing to help people where public transport is not an option.
What is the source of that extraordinary statement??? I presume you mean driven by the parents??? And I presume that in all cases people are choosing driving over public transport??? You might think I was being flippant by talking about Donegal but I wasn't. And the same for large parts of the Country. Public transport is simply not an option.
Many parents have to drop kids to school/cheche/minders and collect them in the evenings. I used to cycle to work but I'm now dropping two teenagers to schools and a bus in the morning. My daughter used to get the bus to school but she was leaving the house at 7.15 to be in for 8.30 and at least once a week the bus was late. It's 10 minutes out of my way to drop her. My son gets the bus from Dublin to Maynooth every morning (no accommodation available there) so an hour plus each way is enough without a 25 minute walk to the bus stop.
So now instead of a 10.5Km cycle through town I have a 25Km journey around the M50.
Public transport is way slower than driving or cycling and my last option. It would take me at least and hour and a half on busses. I could walk it in a little more than that.
Baby boomer
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Are you serious? It's not realistically possible to do any work on the Luas. Before I retired, I drove all the time (multiple clients / locations) and the commute passed away easily with calls to be made and returned. Couldn't really do that on the Luas!
dereko1969
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The CSO - and no, it's not being driven it's driving themselves. And it is extraordinary but sadly true.
My daughters loved cycling when they were small but stopped when they got to about 12.
The ridiculous insistence in so many schools that girls wear skirts as part of their school uniform must be a factor.
dereko1969
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Yeah it's one of the factors alright, there's a massive drop off in girls cycling from primary to secondary. The whole pressure on them to look a certain way - not have "helmet hair" etc, there's been stories of girls wearing trousers on their bikes (with their skirts in bags) and then planning to change inside but teachers reporting them for being on school property in the wrong uniform!
This gender imbalance then continues after school, which is why most bikes sold in this country are "racers" rather than the Dutch style which would be much more useful in Dublin and other urban centres.
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