Leap card fares should be reduced to €1 on all Galway city bus routes during the Christmas shopping period, to encourage people to shop in Galway and to help reduce traffic congestion and the city's carbon emissions.
This is the view of People Before Profit Galway, which has written to the National Transport Authority, Bus Éireann, and City Direct, to propose introducing the Leap card reduction for the month of December. Reduced €1 Leap card fares were trialled in Galway in July and saw an uptake in people using the bus.
PBP Galway representative Joe Loughnane said the reduction could help reduce the city's traffic congestion, especially during the busy shopping period in the run up to Christmas.
"Serious traffic congestion is increasingly a problem in Galway city and is bound to peak during the Christmas shopping period, unless something is done to encourage people to switch to public transport," he said. "People swapping their cars for the bus will reduce carbon emissions and air pollution in Galway."
Mr Loughnane said local shops, restaurants, cafes, pubs, markets, cultural events, would also benefit from the public being "more easily able to get into" the city centre. "Thanks to not having to pay for parking and fuel, people will also have more money in their pockets to spend in our local businesses," he said. "Our proposal makes a lot of sense for all parties involved. The benefits are clear to see for the public, the environment, local businesses and Galway's economy."
