As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for policy and overall funding in relation to public transport; however, I am not involved in the day-to-day operations of public transport.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) has responsibility for the regulation of fares charged to passengers in respect of public transport services provided under public service obligation (PSO) contracts.
However, the NTA does not have a role in the setting of fares for services provided by commercial operators. That is a matter for the individual commercial operators themselves.
Bus Éireann operates both Public Service Obligation (PSO) services funded by the State subvention and Expressway intercity services which operate on a commercial basis and do not receive any State subvention. It is not possible for any passenger to prebook and guarantee a seat on a particular PSO service, which all operate on a walk up, first-come first-served basis. This means that passengers do not pay any booking fee for these PSO services.
On Expressway services all passengers have the option to book a ticket either online or on an in-station Ticket Vending Machine to guarantee a seat for a particular service. Choosing to book a seat in advance on Expressway services is not mandatory, but it is recommended by Bus Éireann for passengers who want to travel at particularly busy times.
Passengers who hold a valid method of travel, including Free Travel Pass users and holders of Taxsaver and multi-journey tickets, have the option of guaranteeing a seat on a particular service by making a seat reservation online or using a Ticket Vending Machine for a fee. Passengers who book a ticket or a seat reservation in advance for a particular service are offered priority boarding.
The Free Travel scheme itself is administered by the Department of Social Protection, and queries regarding the operation of the scheme can be directed to them.
