“We need to take more cars off the roads” – McEntee
The anomaly of Irish Rail’s Short Hop Zone which makes it less attractive for commuters to Dublin from Gormanston, Laytown, Drogheda to use the train because of disproportionate fares, could soon come to an end.
At a meeting of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party on Tuesday it was unanimously agreed to back a motion supporting the extension of the Irish Rail Short Hop Zone which would result in passengers from Gormanston, Laytown, Drogheda, Enfield, Newbridge and Wicklow all benefitting from substantial reductions in ticket prices.
The motion came following a lengthy “Fairer Fares” campaign organised by Fine Gael Councillor in Meath, Sharon Tolan, which gained support across the party.
Cllr Tolan said: “The disparity of train fares has been a major issue for commuters from Meath, Louth, Kildare and Wicklow for many years now, and with increasing costs of living, coupled with the need to reduce our emissions, addressing this disparity now is a win-win for everyone.
“The rail service is currently not fulfilling its full potential, due to the prohibitive fare structure, and many commuters are choosing to either drive to SHZ stations to avail of more affordable ticket pricing, or remain in their cars for their daily commute to Dublin.
“Minister Eamon Ryan now needs to make the sensible decision to extend the Short Hop Zone to the affected commuter belt areas. It will benefit all sectors – commuters, the environment and our rail network.
“I am delighted that my Parliamentary Party colleagues agreed to support my call for the extension to the Short Hop Zone, and I hope that our partners in government will support this proposal also.”
Minister McEntee proposed the motion saying “22,000 cars travel through Julianstown every day, coming from Louth, Meath and further afield. We need to take more cars off the roads to reduce our emissions and encouraging greater use of public transport is the perfect way to do so.
“It is unfair to ask commuters to pay significantly more for their train tickets while a few minutes down the line there are significant reductions. I fully support my colleague Cllr Sharon Tolan’s campaign and hope it will be taken into account when the new transport strategy for the greater Dublin area is published.”
