Hike in transport charges to hit Dublin commuters in the pocket

The cost of navigating around the capital is set to burn a deeper hole in the pockets of commuters after the National Transport Authority granted approval for increases in bus and rail fares.

According to the Irish Times, the cost of using bus and train services could increase by as much as 10.3% and although it has only been confirmed that monthly and annual tickets sold by Bus Éireann, Iarnród Éireann and Dublin Bus will be affected so far, it is expected to be rolled out to all commuter services.

The Irish Times report claims that the price hike is a direct consequence of this week’s budget, in which over €18 million was cut from the Government’s subsidy to public transport services, with the major companies involved claiming that they have no choice but to increase the cost to the commuter as a result.

When it comes to the brass tacks, commuters who use public transport on a regular basis can expect to pay anything between €100 and €200 extra on an annual basis.

For example, a monthly ‘short hop’ ticket that covers Dublin Bus, Dart and Luas services will increase by approximately €20 a month, while a monthly Iarnród Éireann ticket will increase by approximately €12 a month.

Another thing for commuters to stew over when they’re making their already angry trip to work in the morning.