PLANS TO REDUCE the cost of public transport are set to begin rolling out early next month, with Taxsaver tickets set to be reduced by an average of 20% first.

It comes after the government announced measures to tackle the rising cost of living with an emergency package of measures last month, which included reducing public transport fares by 20%.

According to the Department of Transport, the reduced Taxsaver fares are to be implemented first on all Public Service Obligation (PSO) public transport services, including Bus Éireann, Iarnród Éireann and Dublin Bus.

The Department has said that people buying Taxsaver tickets from April will see the cost reduced by 20%, but anyone who bought theirs prior to the reduction will also see a benefit as its period of validity will be extended by three months automatically.

Taxsaver tickets are tax-free tickets that employees can have their employer purchase, where the cost is deducted from their gross salary. They were first introduced by the government in 1999 and are used to incentivise the use of public transport for commuting to work.

In a statement, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said that the measures are intended to put money back in people’s pockets.

“These reduced fares will put money back into people’s pockets and will benefit hundreds of thousands of people across the country who use PSO public transport every day,” said Ryan.

“They also have the added benefit of accelerating our shift to more efficient and affordable public transport and moving us away from a reliance on private transport.”

Anne Graham, CEO of the National Transport Authority welcomed the reduction, saying that more people would opt to use public transport due to the measure.

“I believe it will have a very positive impact on passenger numbers by encouraging more people back on board in the weeks and months ahead. This is a signal that now more than ever, public transport provides a more affordable and more sustainable alternative.”

Currently, there is a plan to reduce the cost of public transport by 20% on a phased basis, with the first phase set to get underway in early April with the Taxsaver ticket reduction.

In mid-April, all-non Dublin city PSO transport services will be reduced as well as specific Iarnród Éireann routes.

In May, the 20% reduction will be in place across the board and a new Young Adult Card will be introduced to cut the cost of public transport by 50% for people aged under 24.