State transport providers have privately sought the introduction of rush-hour travel restrictions for holders of free travel passes as part of a review of the scheme.

A Government working group is reviewing the future of the free scheme, which allows up to 1.2 million people – or 25 per cent of the population – to travel for free on public and some private transport.

Despite rising passenger numbers, funding of €77 million for the scheme has been frozen at the same level for the past five years.

Financial pressure has led to a total of 14 private transport companies withdrawing from the free travel scheme altogether, while a further 11 have withdrawn from some routes on the basis that it is no longer financially viable.

As well as freezing the amounts paid to companies, the Government had been restricting new companies from joining the scheme.

Under pressure from the European Commission – which is understood to have threatened to investigate the restrictions – the Government has since opened the scheme to new companies.

Transport providers

Peak travel-time restrictions were introduced in the 1960s, which limited free travel on certain routes during morning and evening rush hours. The last of these restrictions were removed almost a decade ago. However, a spokesman for Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton said the scheme would remain intact.

“Having fully protected the free travel scheme during difficult budgets, and now that there is room for investment in services generally, the free travel scheme will be protected and not be undermined in any way,” the spokesman said.

Funding required

The number of people directly eligible to use free travel has risen substantially over the past decade, up from just over 600,000 in 2001 to more than 820,000 this year year.

A further 400,000 people are entitled to travel for free as spouses or companions.

The scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years or over, as well as carers and people with disabilities who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments.

Groups such as Age Action Ireland have previously voiced opposition to any changes to the scheme which, it says, plays a crucial role in the lives of older people.

The departure of private operators from routes, and the scheme itself, has affected free transport services in areas such as Kilkenny, Longford, Cavan and Donegal.

Ms Burton’s spokesman said she appreciated the importance of the scheme to customers, particularly pensioners.

The department was working with the National Transport Authority and travel operators to examine ways in which new companies could be admitted to the scheme, particularly where they were taking over routes where operators had withdrawn.

A greater focus on fraudulent use of free travel passes is seen by some as a key way of creating savings.