LIFE ISN’T TOO bad when you’re young, and now the under-19s have it even better thanks to cheaper travel.

The National Transport Authority has decided to waive the standard €3 deposit charge on 10,000 Child Leap Cards, so that everyone up to their 19th birthday can benefit from the cheaper fares available to children.

The cards are available on the website www.ChildLeapCard.ie and the cheaper fares kick in from 1 August.

Cheap travel to school

The change means that the child Leap fares that were previously enjoyed by younger children only will be available to everyone aged 16, 17 and 18 – as long as they hold a Child Leap Card.

Gerry Murphy, CEO of the National Transport Authority said that the new fares package will encourage more children in secondary school to use public transport to get to and from school, and for their extra-curricular activities.

The new fares will initially be available on Dublin Bus, Luas, DART and short-hop Irish Rail in Dublin, and on Bus Éireann services in the Greater Dublin Area and in Cork.

When the Leap Card scheme is launched in Galway, Limerick and Waterford in the coming months, these cities will also offer the new fares.

Lucky 16, 17 and 18-year-olds will be able to save:

• Up to 60% on Dublin Bus
• Up to 68% on Irish Rail in Dublin’s Short Hop Zone
• Up to 65% on Luas
• Up to 49% on Bus Éireann’s city services in Cork (Galway, Limerick and Waterford later as Leap is introduced)

Before you start stocking up on anti-aging cream, you should know that older teens must show identification to avail of the tickets.

Read: Leap Cards to be extended to Cork, but which counties are next in line?>