Eoin Madden has called for a €2 90-Minute fare for the greater Galway region, including Oranmore.
Commuters in county Galway are missing out on a great saving that is currently only available in Cork and Dublin which is that you can combine train and bus journeys into one fare using a Leap Card, and provided your final journey started within 90 minutes of your first, you only pay €2.
"As a regular train and bus user myself, I’ve raised with TFI and BusConnect that commuters in Oranmore and Athenry ought to be able to benefit from this fare. I know BusConnects aim to deliver a bus every 15 minutes from Oranmore to Galway, but I’m calling on TFI to examine pricing also", says Green Party Candidate for Athenry Oranmore, Eoin Madden.
"Currently the fare from Oranmore to Galway on the train will cost you €3.65 one-way, and that’s before you might get a bus from Eyre Square to your destination. While this is a significant improvement, thanks to the reductions introduced by Eamon Ryan in April 2022, the offering needs to improve further."
"In Dublin you can travel from somewhere like Maynooth to Dublin city centre by train or bus, and then take another train or bus within the greater Dublin area, all for just two euros with a Leap Card. I’ve used this personally, travelling from Heuston Station to visit my brother in Ashtown, using a combination of Luas and Bus. It is handy and it is great value."
"I believe there is no single silver bullet to solve the traffic chaos in Galway, rather the solution will be a combination of better traffic management, increased public transport frequency, new bus routes, a Claregalway bypass and safer cycling routes. The current traffic during busy times is a constant reminder of a legacy of poor spatial planning and previous lack of investment in transport", says Mr. Madden. "We can’t expect everyone to use public transport, but equally we shouldn’t force every young person into car ownership."
"I’ve no doubt that introducing a 90-minute flat fare for two euros across commuter rail and bus would be very welcome in Galway", says Eoin. "It has proven a success in Dublin and it is time we got a fair shake here in the Galway commuter belt as well".