Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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1116. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on Dublin Bus not issuing change refunds from 21 September 2018; his views on whether the rights of commuters are being vindicated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36269/18]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport. The National Transport Authority (NTA) has statutory responsibility for the development and implementation of public transport in the Greater Dublin Area, including fares and ticketing.

As the Deputy is aware passengers may still pay with cash and are advised to have the exact fare when boarding. Currently over 70% of fare payments are made by Leap card, which is generally at least 20% cheaper for passengers and is far more efficient than a cash fare.

As part of the BusConnects programme the NTA are proposing a move to cashless operations on buses.  By moving to a cashless system under the BusConnects programme, this will bring greater efficiencies, reduce journey times and improve the passenger journey experience for commuters.To make way for this, BusConnects will incorporate the latest developments in account-based ticketing technology, potentially allowing use of credit/debit cards or mobile devices as a convenient means of payment. This will also allow integration with other transport payments such as parking facilities and bicycle hire.