Public transport ‘smart card’ scheme for Galway
Extending to Galway a public transport integrated ticketing scheme that operates in Dublin is among the priorities of the Department of Transport this year.
Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar, yesterday said the LEAP card, a ‘smart’ travel card that offers cheaper fares and other benefits to rail and bus users in the capital, would be rolled-out to Cork and Galway.
It is one of a number of priorities of Minister Varadkar’s outlined yesterday.
LEAP cards, introduced in Dublin in 2011, allow commuters to travel on bus and rail services without having to buy separate tickets. A pre-paid card, like a credit card with a magnetic strip, allows train and bus passengers to interchange on various modes of transport with the one card.
Users of the LEAP in Dublin are offered lower fares than those using the ordinary ticketing method and it is hassle free.
Extending the scheme to buses and the train station in Galway is part of the Minister’s priority to, “increase the number of journeys taken by public transport by five million (2%)”.
Minister Vardakar also confirmed another priority was starting work on the Gort-Tuam motorway in 2014, a project that has been delayed due to the financial crisis over the past few years.
It will take three years at least to complete and will increase connectivity and reduce journey times between Galway and Limerick as well as Shannon Airport once completed.
Another priority in relation to transport initiatives is the introduction of a bike rental scheme in the city, which will be up and running in Galway this Summer.
Read more in today’s Connacht Sentinel