Huge news for commuters everywhere.
Towards the end of 2022, Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said that contactless payment on public transport was a top priority for him, and that trials would be rolled out in the first half of 2023.
According to The Journal, a spokesperson for Ryan has said that the first contactless payment trial on buses is set to begin at the end of this month and that the trial is in its “advanced” stages.
We got in touch with the National Transport Authority (NTA) and they confirmed that the pilot scheme and security tests for contactless payments will take place on approximately 10 buses covering a small number of routes in the Cavan Monaghan area, and so far Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann are not involved in the trial.
This comes as Dublin was ranked the worst EU city for public transport, with Ireland as a whole not faring much better, scoring 21/100 points for our public transport systems.
The introduction of contactless payments on buses and trams will come as very welcome news for anyone travelling around Ireland, whether they be locals or tourists. Contactless card and phone payments on public transport are available in other countries; they have been an available option in London for almost a decade.
Header image via Shutterstock
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