By Willie Martin, Chairperson, Coach Tourism and Transport Council of Ireland (CTTC)
As Ireland grapples with its commitment to reducing carbon emissions, Budget 2025 offers a pivotal opportunity to make public transport the cornerstone of our climate strategy. This isn’t just about cutting traffic congestion—it’s about enabling a fundamental shift from private cars to buses and coaches. Such a move would greatly assist Ireland in meeting its environmental, economic, and public health goals.
The recently published Air Quality in Ireland Report 2023 shines a spotlight on the urgency of this transition. Ireland is not on track to meet its Clean Air Strategy targets for 2026, and poor air quality is contributing to 1,600 premature deaths annually. Given that private cars are responsible for 49% of the country’s carbon emissions—compared to just 8% from buses—the case for a modal shift to public transport has never been stronger.
Budget 2025 must play a critical role in supporting the bus and coach industry to help facilitate this shift. The Coach Tourism and Transport Council of Ireland (CTTC) has outlined key measures in its pre-budget submission, focusing on making public transport more affordable, sustainable, and attractive for commuters and tourists alike.
A Fair Fares Policy for All
One of the most immediate steps we can take is to align public and commercial bus services by extending the 20% passenger fare reduction to the entire sector. This would allow a larger portion of the population, particularly those in rural areas, to access more affordable public transport. At present, commercial bus operators and their passengers are excluded from these schemes, which creates a two-tier system. This imbalance leaves many commuters with little choice but to rely on their private vehicles.
Economic analysis from Jim Power highlights that fare parity between public and commercial operators would encourage greater public transport usage, significantly reducing car dependency. Extending fare reductions to all bus services is an essential step in encouraging this modal shift, especially in areas where commercial operators provide the primary transport service. If we are serious about reducing emissions and alleviating traffic, we must ensure affordable access to public transport for everyone.
Greening the Fleet: Incentives for Low-Emission Vehicles
Transitioning to a low-carbon economy means upgrading our national transport fleet. Commercial bus operators are eager to invest in low-emission and electric vehicles, but the cost of these greener alternatives remains prohibitive without government support. To accelerate this transition, we are calling for the extension of the VAT71 relief scheme which currently only applies to touring coaches to cover all bus and coach vehicles, which would provide a crucial financial incentive for operators to modernise their fleets.
The CTTC also advocates for an expanded Alternatively Fuelled Heavy Duty Vehicle (AFHDV) Purchase Grant Scheme, which would enable the purchase of low-emission and electric coaches. At present, the costs of adopting these greener technologies remain out of reach for many operators, especially smaller, family-run businesses. A dedicated Coach Transport Sustainability Fund would support the wider adoption of electric and low-emission vehicles, ensuring that Ireland’s public transport network aligns with our ambitious 2030 and 2040 emission reduction targets.
Rethinking Car Dependency
Many of us have grown up assuming that private car ownership is a necessity, but this view is being challenged by experts in the field. Conor Moloney, in his article featured on the SEAI website “Need a Car? Maybe Not”, points out that Ireland’s car-centric culture has been ingrained over decades, to the point where people “see the car as essential to living” even in cases where it might not be. Moloney suggests that the reality is quite different: for many, car ownership isn’t necessary, especially in an urban setting where good public transport options exist.
Moloney argues that a shift away from cars could significantly improve our quality of life by reducing air pollution, traffic congestion, and personal costs associated with vehicle ownership. He notes that alternatives like car-sharing, cycling, and, most importantly, public transport are becoming more viable, particularly as cities develop better infrastructure. This aligns with the CTTC’s call for improved transport infrastructure and seamless travel, such as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems and enhanced park-and-ride facilities along major commuter routes.
Coaches: The Unsung Hero of Reducing Traffic
The contribution that coaches can make to easing congestion is often overlooked. One full coach can remove up to 50 cars from the road, a statistic that has significant implications for both emissions reductions and traffic flow. By investing in coach infrastructure and supporting operators to modernise their fleets, Ireland could take thousands of cars off its roads daily. This would drastically reduce our reliance on private vehicles and create cleaner, more efficient cities and towns.
Infrastructure to Support Seamless Travel
Even with fare reductions and a greener fleet, public transport must be efficient and convenient if we want people to switch from their cars. That’s why we’re advocating for enhanced infrastructure investment, including the development of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems. BRT can offer fast, reliable, and efficient services through dedicated lanes, traffic priority measures, and off-board fare collection. This would make public transport a more attractive option, particularly for daily commuters.
Another essential infrastructure element is the creation of more mobility hubs and park-and-ride facilities along major routes such as the M1, M4, M7, and M11 into Dublin. The potential for reducing emissions, easing traffic, and improving air quality at peak times is immense. We need targeted investment in this infrastructure now, before congestion worsens and more emissions accumulate.
Conclusion: The Time for Action is Now
The measures outlined by the CTTC in our Budget 2025 submission are designed to support not just the bus and coach industry, but also Ireland’s broader ambitions to reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality and promote public health. By making public transport more affordable, greener, and more convenient, we can encourage the Irish public to make the switch from cars to coaches.
Ireland has committed to reducing transport emissions by 45% by 2030 and 90% by 2040. Achieving these targets will require bold, decisive action, and Budget 2025 is the government’s chance to support a nationwide modal shift. Our current trajectory is unsustainable, and we risk failing to meet both our environmental and health objectives.
It’s time to shift gears. By prioritising buses and coaches in Budget 2025, we can take the next step towards a cleaner, greener future for Ireland.
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