Calls for public transport to be made free as fuel crisis deepens in Ireland

MEP McNamara said the measure would ‘make a real difference to ordinary people’

A Bus Éireann bus on Cork city’s Grand Parade(Image: Thomas Lawrance/CorkBeo)

An Irish MEP has called for public transport to be made free in response to the ongoing energy crisis spurred by the conflict in the Middle East. Ireland South representative Michael McNamara has urged the Government to adopt the policy, following expert warnings that ‘all roads lead to higher prices and slower growth worldwide’ as a result of the war.

It comes as many households are now facing difficulties keeping up with rising costs, with the price of a full fuel tank now hovering around €100 despite the excise duty cuts. Increased transport costs are also expected to lead to further price increases for everyday essentials, and households will see the war’s impact on their energy prices on their next bill.

The Limerick-born MEP said the Government’s fuel price cut is ‘meaningless’ without a concerted effort to urge the public to use alternatives. It comes as households have been urged to cut fuel use where possible, with fuel rationing measures already in place in other nations like Thailand, Egypt and Slovenia -which became the first EU member state to introduce the practice.

In recent days, the prospect of fuel rationing in Ireland has been in the headlines, but Tánaiste Simon Harris assured the public that while the Government was examining all scenarios, Ireland is ‘nowhere near’ the point where restricting access to petrol and diesel becomes necessary.

Now, with the EU warning member states that the war in Iran will have a sustained effect on the fuel market, McNamara has called for free public transport to be rolled out to offset transport costs that are hitting many households hard.

The Independent MEP said: ““The Government’s call on households to cut fuel use is meaningless unless it concentrates on encouraging the public to use alternatives,” McNamara said. “Public transport needs to be made free for users for the next six months. This would cost up to €275 million, based on a 2023 report commissioned by the National Transport Authority (NTA) from Ernst and Young.

“It must be acknowledged that this is a significant sum of money, but it is less than the amount the Government is expecting to spend on the upcoming six-month EU Presidency and is small compared to the billions of euros thrown around by the Government during the Covid era.

“Making buses, trams and trains free is a relatively easy measure for the Government to implement and one that will make a difference to ordinary people, as it will result in a new focus on public transport alternatives,” McNamara concluded.