Luas Fares To Increase On Jan 1 2012

[Mark Gleeson]

Adult and Child Single fares will increase by 10c

Adult and Child Return fares will increase by 20c

Adult Smart Card fares will increase by between 15c and 20c.

Child Smart Card fares will increase by 5c

Increase of 5-10% on all 7/30 day tickets

[Colm Moore]

http://www.nationaltransport.ie/news.html

National Transport Authority approves public transport fares increases.

Fares to go up in January. Customers will get significantly cheaper fares on new Leap Card.

December 9, 2011

The National Transport Authority has today (9th December 2011) approved fares increases across all public transport operators – Dublin Bus, Irish Rail, Bus Éireann and Luas. These increases will come into effect in January, 2012 and follow from the reduction in funds available to subsidise public transport announced in the Dáil on Monday (December 5). All transport operators suffered deficits in 2011 and will incur deficits in 2012.

Full announcement HERE

CIE Fares Report HERE

Luas Fares Report HERE

[on the move]

The inevitable has happened. Though some of the reasons used to justify it are laughable.

Despite the economic climate, Luas has millions of passengers using it's services, plenty of cash reserves, and is very profitable. So profitable, that it can afford to donate significant sums of money to social causes and charity events.

As usual, it's the long-suffering passenger though who is last when it comes to priority. When it began operation, Night Luas was run in the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas on both lines. This year, the residential line is getting two nights and 1 January, while the busy line through the main city thoroughfare, other transport hubs, and nightlife area gets nothing. While Metros across Europe continue to run 24 hours at weekends and put on extra transport at Christmas, it's a new low this year for the most modern transport network in Ireland's capital city.

[dowlingm]

It would be nice if the businesses who would benefit from a Night LUAS would cough up a few bob to make it happen. Not make it free, just pay the cost premium to make it break even.

[Mark Gleeson]

Red line late Luas is off on grounds of anti-social behavior just not worth the hassle

Luas receives no subsidy so the books must balance. Veoila is not under any obligation to run services after 12:30am but is allowed to operate them at its own financial risk. The opening of the lines to Saggart and Brides Glen has resulted in an ongoing operating loss.

The default solution for late night services is a bus, thats what is used in most cities and that works well. Nitelink is running 6 days a week before Christmas. 5 years ago it was standing room only on the 2am 7N, now its down to only a handful

[on the move]

The Luas has a top quality security firm operating from 10am daily. Their primary job is to deal with anti-social behaviour. Otherwise, what are they there for?

Dublin is a major city in Europe with a vibrant nightlife scene at weekends, even these days. It should have adequate forms of transport to cater for it. The bus is not enough in other major cities, and it isn't enough here.

[Colm Moore]

http://www.rpa.ie/en/news/Pages/Luasfaretoincrease.aspx

Home > English > News > Luas fares to increase

Luas fares to increase by an average of 6.3% from Sunday, 1st January 2012

RPA today announced Luas fare increases which will come into effect from Sunday, 1 January 2012. There has been no general increase in Luas fares in three years and there has been no increase in fares for children since the service was introduced in June 2004. Luas does not receive any operating subvention from the State and in order to maintain this position it is necessary to increase fares at this time. Every effort has been made to keep the increase to the minimum. There will be an increase of 6.3% averaged across the fare structure.

The main fare changes are as follows:

• Adult and Child Single fares will increase by 10c
• Adult and Child Return fares will increase by 20c
• Adult Smart Card fares will increase by between 15c and 20c. Despite this increase, the average Adult Smart Card fare will still be 12% cheaper than the average Adult Single off-peak fare
• Child Smart Card fares will increase by 5c
• Adult 7 day, 30 day and Tax Saver tickets will increase by an average of 5.5%
• Child 7 day and 30 day tickets will increase by an average of 10%
• Student 7 day and 30 day tickets will increase by an average of 5.5%
• Tickets bought from Luas Ticket Agents will increase by an average of 7.5%

[Colm Moore]

http://www.rpa.ie/en/news/Pages/Luasfaretoincrease.aspx

Home > English > News > Luas fares to increase
Luas fares to increase

Luas fares to increase by an average of 6.3% from Monday, 9th January 2012

RPA today announced Luas fare increases which will come into effect from Monday, 9th January 2012. There has been no general increase in Luas fares in three years and there has been no increase in fares for children since the service was introduced in June 2004. Luas does not receive any operating subvention from the State and in order to maintain this position it is necessary to increase fares at this time. Every effort has been made to keep the increase to the minimum. There will be an increase of 6.3% averaged across the fare structure.

The main fare changes are as follows:

• Adult and Child Single fares will increase by 10c
• Adult and Child Return fares will increase by 20c
• Adult Smart Card fares will increase by between 15c and 20c.
• Despite this increase, the average Adult Smart Card fare will still be 12% cheaper than the average Adult Single off-peak fare
• Child Smart Card fares will increase by 5c
• Adult 7 day, 30 day and Tax Saver tickets will increase by an average of 5.5%
• Child 7 day and 30 day tickets will increase by an average of 10%
• Student 7 day and 30 day tickets will increase by an average of 5.5%
• Tickets bought from Luas Ticket Agents will increase by an average of 7.5%

[on the move]

Luas does not receive any operating subvention from the State and in order to maintain this position it is necessary to increase fares at this time.

Before the service was launched on either line, one paper said that the state would subsidise Luas if it wasn't profitable. Whether that is true or not, the reality is, the Luas is ultra-popular, and makes millions of Euro every year. The network has since extended, and more extensions are in the pipeline, providing more windfalls. The begging bowl exercise doesn't wash with me. They have simply taken advantage of the traditional time of year the transport networks have raised their fares. Every rise in Luas fares has always been in early January, and so it is again.

[markpb]

Originally Posted by on the move

Before the service was launched on either line, one paper said that the state would subsidise Luas if it wasn't profitable. Whether that is true or not, the reality is, the Luas is ultra-popular, and makes millions of Euro every year. The network has since extended, and more extensions are in the pipeline, providing more windfalls. The begging bowl exercise doesn't wash with me. They have simply taken advantage of the traditional time of year the transport networks have raised their fares. Every rise in Luas fares has always been in early January, and so it is again.

You can read the report on the NTA website which explains why they applied for the fare increase.

[Garisonez3]

Yes Mark some more information have missing are there:


The main fare changes are as follows:

Adult and Child Single fares will increase by 10c
Adult and Child Return fares will increase by 20c
Adult Smart Card fares will increase by between 15c and 20c.
Despite this increase, the average Adult Smart Card fare will still be 12% cheaper than the average Adult Single off-peak fare
Child Smart Card fares will increase by 5c
Adult 7 day, 30 day and Tax Saver tickets will increase by an average of 5.5%
Child 7 day and 30 day tickets will increase by an average of 10%
Student 7 day and 30 day tickets will increase by an average of 5.5%
Tickets bought from Luas Ticket Agents will increase by an average of 7.5%

[Mark Gleeson]

Originally Posted by on the move

Before the service was launched on either line, one paper said that the state would subsidise Luas if it wasn't profitable. Whether that is true or not, the reality is, the Luas is ultra-popular, and makes millions of Euro every year. The network has since extended, and more extensions are in the pipeline, providing more windfalls. The begging bowl exercise doesn't wash with me. They have simply taken advantage of the traditional time of year the transport networks have raised their fares. Every rise in Luas fares has always been in early January, and so it is again.

Luas never made a massive profit, it was always a fairly small sum, I wouldn't even be using the plural millions. The surplus which was achieved in years past went into a sinking fund to cover for future overhaul and refurbishment costs. The increase in Luas fares % wise was consistently less than CIE group companies. In a proper country Luas would be afforded a reasonable subsidy which would allow for lower fares, more security and so on.

The extensions to Brides Glen and Saggart have resulted in signifcant extra costs with comparatively little extra revenue, that is the core reason behind the fare increase. A significant number of extra trams, drivers and customer service staff were required to support this.

I wouldn't be surprised if the 2011 accounts post a net loss on Luas operations.

[on the move]

That's the official explanation.

In January 2005, there was a fare increase.
In January 2006, there was a fare increase.
In January 2007, there was a fare increase.
In January 2008, there was a fare increase.
In January 2009, there was a fare increase.
In January 2012, there was a fare increase.

All for the same reason, and all at the same (almost to the exact date) time of year. "Increased costs". The extensions cited as reasons are merely smokescreens, i.e. if it wasn't that reason, it would be something else.

The reality facing everyone in Ireland these days, is that everyone's costs are rising, and everyone's incomes are falling. We all have to make more out of having less. That applies to Luas as much as everyone else. It's not fair, and nobody wants it that way, but that's life in this country at the moment. Pushing up fares just because that's when it was always done, is unlikely to make significant reductions in costs in the next 12 months. And what will be the solution? Another fare increase.

Groundhog Day.

[on the move]

Originally Posted by hoopsheff

One of their reasons is for extra fuel costs


I always thought that it was electric myself

It is electric, but they need more reasons to convince the NTMA to give in.