Cork city buses to have 'tap and go' on all routes by year end

Cork commuters will be able to ‘tap and go’ on all city bus routes by the end of the year, according to the National Transport Authority (NTA).

Currently, all bus passengers on Cork city services have to go to the driver when boarding to pay, whether by cash or by Leap card.

A spokesperson for the NTA has said: “This requirement for all passengers to interact with the bus driver adds considerably to boarding time on buses and lengthens overall bus journey times. The NTA is undertaking a project, at present, to improve the current system in Cork.”

Validators

The NTA plans to install Leap card validators on an entry pole at the front door of each bus.

“This provision will allow boarding passengers to just tap their Leap card on the validator upon entry, without having to go to the driver, substantially speeding up boarding times on buses. The rollout on the new Leap card validators across the urban bus fleet in Cork will be complete in Q3 of this year,” the spokesperson confirmed.

The NTA shared the timeline in response to an inquiry from Labour Party councillor and chair of the Cork City Council transport committee, Peter Horgan.

“This is a positive step, in only one small measure, in improving passenger interaction with the public bus network,” said Mr Horgan.

“However, Q3 brings us right up to September and the new school year. We have to ensure this is achieved for those looking to ditch the car and to reduce congestion across the city and suburbs. Rebuilding confidence in our public transport is critical in tackling the persistent congestion in the city and suburban conurbations like Douglas, Blackrock, Ballincollig, Togher and Mayfield and Blackpool.

“Leap card validators are only one step on the ticketing issue. We must look at the 90-minute fare and the faster introduction of the next-gen ticketing tender, which includes debit cards, not just Leap cards.”

Tap technology

The NTA have said that the installation of this additional tap technology would enable the subsequent introduction of a fare similar to the 90-minute one operating in Dublin.

With that fare, passengers can use the Transport for Ireland network around Dublin for 90 minutes with a Leap card, for just €2 for adults, €1 for young adults or students, and 65 cent for children.

However, while the 90-minute fare is part of the planned BusConnects Cork programme, an exact implementation date has not yet been determined.