Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

The case for free public transport is overwhelming and unanswerable. In Germany this summer, the €9 monthly rail fare scheme was availed of by 52 million people, equivalent to 60% of the population. The scheme reduced CO2 emissions by 1.8 million tonnes. Free public transport was implemented in Spain last month. That scheme will run to the end of the year. In Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, free public transport for residents has been in place since 2013 and results in a reduction of 742 tonnes of CO2 annually. In Kansas City, the incidence of antisocial behaviour and aggression towards drivers fell by 17% after the introduction of free fares. Obviously, disputes over fares plummeted, which was a key factor in that.

From the point of view of the cost-of-living crisis for ordinary people, combating the climate emergency and ensuring the health and safety of drivers, which is no small matter, free public transport makes excellent sense. It should be introduced throughout the entirety of the EU, not just for periods of three or four months, but from one end of the year to the next. The Minister should set out a figure for what that would cost in this State. We know that €580 million in fares was collected in 2019, the last full year before the pandemic. The other major cost would be increasing the size of the bus and train fleets and hiring extra staff to meet demand. Let us see that number. It will be paid for 100% by wealth taxes. That is a discussion that we will have another day.

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