Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 271: To ask the Minister for Transport and the Marine the position in relation to the introduction of a combined ticket that can be used on the LUAS, DART and Dublin Bus; if same will be introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19046/07]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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A number of magnetic strip integrated tickets which allow transfer between Bus and Dart, Bus and Luas, and Luas and Dart are currently in place. Within the context of Transport 21, a far wider integrated ticketing scheme is to be in place within the Greater Dublin Area, based on smartcard technology.

An Integrated Ticketing Project Board was established last year to take forward this project, comprising the Chief Executive Officers of the RPA and CIE companies, a representative of private bus operators and a senior official from my Department under an independent chairperson. The Project Board was given the responsibility of delivering the smartcard technology required to deliver an integrated smart card ticketing system within an agreed specification, timeline and budget.

The Board has submitted a comprehensive proposal for the delivery of the project. The proposal puts the expected capital cost of the integrated ticketing system at €49.6 million. On the 1st June, my Department wrote to the Chairman of the Project Board authorising him to proceed with the implementation of the project along the lines proposed by the Board.

The Chairman has since informed me that the procurement process to secure a supplier for the back office systems is underway. The tender notice was recently placed in the Official Journal of the European Union. Currently, smartcard ticketing systems are in place on both Luas and Mortons services. Both Iarnrod Eireann and Dublin Bus also intend to introduce their own interim smartcard systems in the near term. These will enable both users and operators to familiarise themselves with the use and flexibility of smartcard systems. The next stage then is to roll-out the proposed integrated ticketing system within the Greater Dublin Area. All of the current smartcard schemes are designed to migrate to this integrated smartcard system at the appropriate time.

This roll-out will commence within 27 months on the services of Dublin Bus, Luas and Morton's. It will be extended to Iarnrod Eireann Dart and Commuter rail services within the following year. Bus Eireann has agreed to commence a trial project on one of its commuter routes. Full roll-out will be completed within four years. The Board also confirmed to me that a range of multi operator products will be available on all smart cards. In addition, an electronic purse similar to "pay as you go" for mobile phones will also be available.