Fare Free Travel Policy Analysis

Fare Free Travel (FFT) Policy Analysis

Report & Policy Context

Current Government policy deliberately prioritises active travel and public transport to help achieve Ireland’s overall emission reduction goals. The current Climate Action Plan aims to facilitate 500,000 extra walking, cycling and public transport journeys per day by 2030 and reduce the km driven by internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles by 10%.
Other Government policies, such as the National Sustainable Mobility Plan and the National Development Plan, align with this goal. Two-thirds of additional capital expenditure has been earmarked for public transport and €360m per annum for active travel. The National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland (NIFTI) has also introduced a modal hierarchy that prioritises active travel, public transport and car travel in that order.
The policy alignment of Fare Free Travel (FFT) is therefore dependent on its ability to drive additional public transport trips through a reduction in car use rather than a reduction in active travel or an increase in the overall level of travel.
This report analyses the benefits and costs of FFT in this context to determine whether it is a suitable policy tool to meet Ireland’s overarching climate and transport policy goals.

Publication incorporating