Skerries and Balbriggan left out in cold by TFI

Local TDs have said that commuters from Skerries and Balbriggan have been left out in the cold by the National Transport Authority.

Under new plans from the NTA, adjustments to the National Fare Strategy will come into force in the final week of April, including extensions to the TFI 90 Zone.

The TFI 90 Zone, which lets commuters pay just €2 for a 90-minute trip on public transport, will be extended to Bray in Wicklow and Ashbourne and Ratoath in Meath – but pointedly, not Balbriggan or Skerries.

Local Sinn Féin TD Louise O’Reilly said, “inclusion in the Dublin City Zone would have made a considerable difference to my constituents.”

“In the Dublin City Zone, the €2 Leap Card fare gets people to Connolly Station.  The same trip from Balbriggan or Skerries to Connolly Station is significantly more expensive,” she added.

O’Reilly explained, “from Balbriggan, it is €3.90 and from Skerries it is €2.90; for my constituents from Balbriggan, this will cost them €20 more a week and €1,000 a year, and this is not money they have.”

She questioned the logic of commuters from outside of Dublin seeing a decrease in their fares, but commuters from Dublin itself will see an increase.

The Sinn Féin TD noted that Balbriggan and Skerries are two of the fastest-growing areas in the country, with some of the youngest population in the country, yet they are the ones footing the bill.

“This is on top of the additional costs incurred by parking at train stations,” she added.

The Dublin Fingal West TD stated that she engaged with the NTA and Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien on the issue, outlining the possible negative effects these changes would have on her constituents, but she said “it was to no avail.”

“I raised this in the Dáil Chamber earlier this month, and the Minister of State’s reply did not even acknowledge these consequences.  The Minister of State provided no explanation for me and my constituents, as to why commuters from the towns of Skerries and Balbriggan will have to pay more to get into town and use the public transport service.

“At the same time, he insisted that improving public transport services and infrastructure is central to improving quality of life, achieving decarbonisation, and is part of the goals set out in the Programme the Government.

“This does not make sense.  If the government wants people to use public transport, it needs to make it accessible, frequent and affordable. 

She said, “money is being charged to my constituents to use public transport, while at the same time they are being told that they have to play their part in decarbonisation, which they want to do.”

“They are Dubs. They live in Dublin.  They want to be in the Dublin City Commuter Zone,” she stated.

Local Fine Gael TD Grace Boland also expressed frustration with the changes, calling it “deeply unfair.”

Like O’Reilly, she said it was “unfair” that a commuter in Naas in County Kildare will save money on their commute but someone from Balbriggan will pay more.

“Excluding towns in Dublin and including towns in neighbouring counties is completely unfair,” she said.

“To add salt to the wound, commuters from our neighbouring town, Rush/Lusk will have their fares reduced. To travel from Balbriggan or Skerries to Pearse St will be €3.90 when you pay with your Leap card, but from Rush/Lusk a mere few kilometres away, the fare is almost half that, at €2.”

Boland noted, “when passengers do not use their Leap card, the fares are higher again; an adult day return for the same journey is €5.20 from Rush/Lusk, but from Balbriggan or Skerries the fare is €9.20.”

“This division is not fair, and passengers from Balbriggan and Skerries are disproportionately impacted by this change.”

The Fine Gael TD said she has been contacted by local concerned commuters, and she noted that she herself relies on public transport to get to work.

I can completely appreciate their concerns and frustration around this decision; I have highlighted this unfairness with the Minister for Transport, the NTA, and An Taoiseach on the floor of the Dáil Chamber, yet nothing has changed.”

“We want more people to use public transport and get out of their cars, yet this change could force more people back into their cars to drive to a station in Zone 1 to avail of the lower fares, which is counterproductive.”

“I will continue to highlight the unfairness of these fare changes for the communities of Skerries and Balbriggan. I urge the NTA and the Minister for Transport to review the zone distance and include all of the stations in our constituency of Dublin Fingal West into Dublin City Zone 1.”

For the NTA’s part, they said the fares are designed to “streamline” fares as part of the overall NTA fares strategy, noting that zones and fares are based on their distance from Dublin city centre. 

Fine Gael TD Colm Brophy, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, said he raised the issue with Minister O’Brien in early April, with his requests seemingly falling on deaf ears.

Speaking at the time, Brophy said, “transport connectivity is obviously highly important for people who live and work, as we know, throughout Ireland. It is key to our villages, towns, and to Dublin and our other cities to encourage urban centres and have strong local economies.”

“I believe, as does the Minister, in expanding the public transport network and increasing services throughout the country, including in the west Fingal area. The ways we have set out to do that are included in what I said, such as BusConnects and Connecting Ireland. That will lead to a better facility overall for public transport users. I will take note of the Deputy’s request and pass it on to the Minister,” he said in response to O’Reilly.

Last year saw Northside commuters react strongly to planned timetable changes to DART services into Connolly, with the changes reverted after major public backlash (and local Labour TD Duncan Smith calling it a “shambles” in the Dáil).

Similar pressure from commuters may cause the NTA to change their tune.