Extend short hop zone
Deputy Ryan argued that rail fares are unfair outside the Dublin short hop zone and asked for its extension to encourage public transport use. The Tánaiste said his party supports extending it, but the matter must be progressed through the National Transport Authority and the Minister.
We are in the middle of a climate and cost-of-living crisis and need to do everything we can to offer alternatives to car journeys. People in south Kildare and Laois drive to Sallins, north Kildare, to avail of the short hop zone. An annual rail ticket from Newbridge to Dublin costs €1,900 while an annual rail ticket from Sallins to Dublin costs €1,500 but includes travel on trains, Luas and buses.
It is €400 more for an extra five minutes' journey. It does not make sense. Will the Tánaiste commit to extending the short hop zone to encourage people to make the switch to rail travel, which would help the environment and save commuters money?
Comment on this
This issue was discussed at a meeting of my own parliamentary party a few weeks ago at which we adopted a policy of extending the short hop zone to anywhere within 50 km or so of Dublin. It is quite anomalous at the moment. Kilcoole in County Wicklow is in the short hop zone but Drogheda and areas in mid-Kildare that are the same distance away from Dublin are not. We think that should be regularised but that work really has to be done through the National Transport Authority and the Minister.