Translink price hike shows ‘disregard’ for commuters

TRANSLINK has put up its fares for the first time in four years and removed ‘early bird’ options on the cost of journeys from certain towns, including Omagh, increasing some fares by a third.

Local commuters who previously took advantage of the ‘early bird’ option between Omagh and Belfast are now paying £21 for a return ticket – up from £18.

Prices had been frozen for the last four years as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the ‘cost-of-living’ crisis.

Damian Kelly, who is a commuter who works in Belfast and travels back home to Omagh regularly, said that the increase in prices showed a ‘disregard’ and ‘disdain’ for customers.

Mr Kelly said, “The decision to increase fares during a ‘cost-of-living’ and climate crisis shows the disdain and disregard with which public transport users are held.

“I travel to and from Belfast every week and get the bus when it’s most convenient but, with the increase in prices, it just makes more sense for me to drive instead of getting the bus. The only way I see this changing is if the cost of diesel increases.

“This decision is only going to increase the amount of car users who commute to and from Belfast, adding more cars onto the A5, one of the most dangerous roads in Ireland.”

A Translink spokesperson said, “The fares revision follows a statement by the Secretary of State regarding the need to upgrade public transport fares to address the sustainability of public transport and ensure services are maintained and improved, given the current funding pressures on NI finances.

“Fares have been frozen for four years; however, we understand any increase is unwelcome given the ‘cost-of-living’ pressures our passengers are already facing. On average, standard cash fares will increase by around seven per-cent. We have worked very hard on this below inflation uplift, keeping fares affordable and good value for as many people as possible.”

The spokesperson added, “Early bird fares were only available on a limited number of early morning services. Given there is no longer a significant differential between peak and off-peak travel post-Covid, the fares revision has included adjusting some of the promotional discounts to reflect these changing travel patterns.”