Dublin Bus contactless payments may not arrive until 2028

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A recent progress report published by the National Transport Authority (NTA) revealed that the payment method will take 'approximately three years to deliver'.

Last year, it was announced that Spanish company, Indra, would man the introduction of contactless payments across the country's bus, tram, and rail services.

A next-generation ticketing system brought about by Indra will allow passengers to pay fares using their bank cards or mobile phones, a project which is part of the larger BusConnects Programme and will initially be focused on the Greater Dublin Area.

The progress report further highlighted that the rollout of the project has led to a spike in passengers in the Dublin area.

Despite this timeline being set out in the report, speaking to Katie Hannon on RTÉ's Drivetime this morning, CEO of Dublin Bus Billy Hann, gave a different answer: "In my opinion, we should have done that project ten years ago, and the NTA, again, are responsible for replacing that system.

"They have got a contract signed for that as well and we can see that in the next year and a half to two years."

Hannon questioned: "In two years time?".

"That's the plan from the NTA, they're the figures that they have given me," he stated.

BusConnects have seen a 40% rise in passengers and improved service reliability, the NTA reports.

However, they added that there is 'still room for improvement' which will hinge on better bus priority and the new ticketing system.

Other additions being made as part of the project include the introduction of 110 electric buses, which will save 1,900 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

NTA Interim CEO, Hugh Creegan, commented on the BusConnects Programme: “The growth in passenger numbers we are seeing is very encouraging and is a clear indication that members of the travelling public are responding positively to the improved service levels and greater connectivity that BusConnects offers.

“The BusConnects Dublin Programme has already delivered significant passenger benefits, but there’s more to be done."