Big savings for Dublin commuters as new unlimited transport ticket announced

With the cost of everything going up, it's nice to know that the cost of something is actually going down for a change. 

The cost of monthly and annual public transport tickets for those who commute in Dublin is set to fall and could see some Dubliners save hundreds of euro a year.

That’s because from 1st June a new transport ticket is being introduced that allows for unlimited travel on all Commuter Rail, DART, Dublin Bus and Luas services in the wider Dublin area.

The new Dublin City Zone (Multimodal) ticket will cost just €96 a month or €960 a year (€80 a month) if you buy an annual ticket. It will replace all the current monthly and annual tickets, some of which cost €1,550 a year. 

While everyone should save something, those who currently take several forms of transport will see the biggest savings. 

For example, an annual Commuter Rail, DART, Dublin Bus and Luas ticket currently costs €1,550 a year. But this will now cost only €960 - a saving of €590 a year. 

The new ticket comes on the back of the €2 90-min fare which was introduced as a cost-of-living measure two years ago and has been kept as part of a redesign of public transport under the BusConnects programme.

It was acknowledged at the time that the new €2 fare made the annual and monthly tickets less attractive. And a promise was made to review the pricing structure of these tickets with a view to launching better value tickets.    

Save even more with TaxSaver 

The good news is that you can save even more if you buy your ticket through TaxSaver.

The TaxSaver Commuter Ticket is a government scheme that allows employees to save money on public transport by purchasing annual or monthly travel tickets through their employer. 

You then get tax relief as the cost of your ticket is deducted from your gross salary before income tax, Universal Social Charge (USC), and PRSI are applied. This can result in savings of up to 52.1% on the cost of your tickets.

So if you pay income tax at 40% the actual cost of an annual ticket is just over €42 a month (€507.84 a year), which is great value for unlimited travel on all of the capital’s transport services.  

Rethink your options

With the new monthly ticket now only €96 a month, or €80 if you commit to an annual ticket, it’s a good idea to rethink whether it’s worth using the car a bit less and reconsider investing in an annual ticket to save you rummaging for €2 every time you want to get the bus, DART or Luas.

A few years ago an annual Commuter Rail, DART, Dublin Bus & Luas ticket cost €1,950 a year for example. This was then reduced to €1,550 two years ago as the Government, led by the Green Party, reduced prices by 20% to help with the cost of living. 

And now this ticket will cost only €960 a year - even less if you buy through TaxSaver.

The ticket also works on Dublin Bus Nitelink routes, so you can save on the cost of a taxi fare home (which as we know are now more expensive than ever). 

So if you thought these tickets were too expensive previously, or not worth it, it really makes sense to look at them again. 

How can I get a TaxSaver ticket?

Check with your employer and find out if they’re registered with TaxSaver. Most medium to large-sized companies should be

If not, you should send your employer a link telling them you’re interested in availing of the scheme.

Once your company is registered, a company administrator (normally a person who works in HR or Payroll) can order your ticket online.

There are annual tickets, and monthly tickets, available from the 1st of any month. So some companies may only offer tickets at particular times of year.