Private bus operators must be included in Free Travel Scheme for children – Murphy

The Minister for Transport must ensure that the delivery of its Free Travel Scheme for children aged under nine is fair and inclusive by extending it to private bus and coach operators, as well as state-contracted services, a Fine Gael TD has said.

Deputy Michael Murphy, Chair of the Oireachtas Transport Committee, said that with the current rollout of the free travel scheme for children under nine, families need guarantees that transport will be free for their children on all services, whether public or private.

“The commitment to free travel for children under nine has the potential to reduce costs for families, encourage public transport use from an early age and cut congestion,” said Deputy Murphy.

“But if it is to succeed in practice, we must make sure it reaches every child, whether they live in Dublin or in rural Ireland. That means working closely with private operators, not leaving them out.

“Private bus and coach operators are central to public transport in rural Ireland. In counties like Tipperary, operators contracted through Local Link already cover approximately 70% of rural areas. They deliver over 8,800 passenger journeys every week in my own constituency of Tipperary alone.

“Nationally, Local Link services now carry more than 100,000 passenger journeys per week, a five-fold increase in demand since 2022. Many of the private operators delivering these services are already integrated into State schemes such as the Young Adult Card and Free Travel Pass, so the ticketing systems are in place to extend the under-nine free travel initiative smoothly and quickly.

“To exclude private operators would be to create a two-tier system where families in urban areas served by PSO (Public Service Obligation) operators would benefit, while families in towns and villages that depend on private operators would be left behind. That cannot be the outcome of a policy designed to improve fairness.

“I am calling on the Minister for Transport and the National Transport Authority to work now with private operators so that this scheme can be delivered in full. Every child under nine, no matter where they live or which bus they board, should benefit equally from free travel,” concluded Deputy Murphy.