Consumer Council Slams Translink Fares Increase

Transport fares in Northern Ireland are to increase by up to 2% on Metro and local Ulsterbus and 3% on Northern Ireland Railways local fares.

However, there won't be increases in the prices of Metro Smartlink and Ulsterbus multi-journey. Metro day ticket are also held at the current price, but most cash fare tickets are to increase by 10p. Weekly and monthly Metro travel cards fares have also been held. Rails fares up by 10p.

The change on the prices will be applied next Monday, despite the disagreement of the NI Consumer Council. The institution has been discussing the measures with Translink in an extended consultation that ended today.

Spokesman for Translink, Ciaran Rogan, said: "We have worked hard to respond in a balanced way to make sure our customers have money saving choices.

"Increases in fares have been kept to a minimum with many multi-journey ticket prices held."

"Also, we have engaged with the Consumer Council of Northern Ireland so they may be assured that negative impact on customers is kept to a minimum," he added.

But Interim Chief Executive of the Consumer Council, Donna Magee, said that they weren't "fully consulted at the outset of this fares revision".

According to a statement on the Consumer Council webpage, they are "dissatisfied that Translink has not done enough to lessen the impact of the latest fares revision on passengers".

Magee said: "The largest increase has been taken off the table (Translink had proposed to increase the cost of an Ulsterbus town service day ticket by 41%) but sadly, the extra time has not produced a much better result for bus and rail passengers."

The NI Minister for Regional Development, Conor Murphy, said that although fare hikes are never popular, the commercial reality is that "the only alternative at this time to fare increases is compulsory job losses and a review of current levels of service".

Translink’s Spokerman admitted that the company will face financial pressures in the year ahead.

(AC/BMcC)