A pilot trial of contactless payments on public transport will begin in Dublin next summer, ahead of a citywide rollout in 2028.
€35 million has already been spent on the project nationally, with a new ticketing platform due to be completed ahead of next year’s pilot.
At first it will be used by Dublin Bus and Luas passengers, after which it will be installed at Irish Rail stations across the Greater Dublin area.
On The Hard Shoulder, Fine Gael TD Grace Boland said making it as easy to use public transport is “really key” to getting more people onto buses, trains and the Luas.
“My colleague Eimear Higgins actually was pushing the National Transport Authority on this in 2023 and I think it would have been fantastic if we'd had a digital Leap card three, five years ago rolled out,” she said
“I would use it myself.”
The Fingal West TD said members of the Oireachtas have been “repeatedly asking” why people cannot make contactless payments on public transport.
“It is on track for a phase one pilot rollout in 2027,” she said.
“So, essentially next summer and then the Greater Dublin rollout in summer 2028.
“I suppose in terms of bringing in an interim solution now, the horse has probably bolted on that and to be honest, I want this sorted; I want contactless payments in.”
Contactless payments have been accepted in New York since 2019, in London since 2012 and in Hong Kong since 1997.
However, the NTA only signed a contract to roll out the technology across Ireland in 2024.
“One thing in relation to rural Ireland is that contactless payments, tap and go, is actually available on Local Links,” Deputy Boland said.
“Now, it's not yet available on Bus Éireann and we need to see the NTA bring forward a schedule to make sure that there is a national rollout.
“If we're going to have it in Dublin 2028, we need to see it rapidly deployed nationally.
“Given all the work will have been done in the technology solutions that should come really, really quickly afterwards.”
Main image: A contactless payment terminal. Picture by: Alamy.com.
