You may have heard about the vastly different train fares Translink and Irish Rail charge for travelling between Belfast and Dublin on the Enterprise fast train service which takes just over two hours. This discrepancy illustrates the importance of Government Policy iwith respect to Active Travel. Let me recap.
A single ticket from Belfast to Dublin costs £33 from Translink while one from Dublin to Belfast costs €16 from Irish Rail.
At the current exchange rate those 16 Euros work out to £13.50. In other words, it is two and a half times more expensive to travel from Belfast to Dublin than to travel the same distance in the other direction.
In its statement to the BBC Translink pointed out that each train company "has its own ticketing/IT systems, fare structures and special offers and operates in different jurisdictions with different government policies." The key phrase here is "different government policies"!
Translink goes on to state that "the Republic of Ireland government has discounted public transport fares by 20% across the board, which includes Enterprise tickets for journeys originating south of the border."
As per the Irish Government's website this policy was introduced over two years ago and was recently extended in an effort to promote Active Travel in the Republic. Well done to the Irish Government! On our side of the green border Stormont has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to embracing and promoting Active Travel here.
We have already called out Translink on not allowing bicycles on its trains before 09:30. We had also invited DfI to come talk to our membership when we met representatives back in April. In early June the Department replied to our feedback on the 2020 changes to the Highway Code and how they could be implemented in Northern Ireland, stating that as there "remains considerable policy consideration [...]" and the "minister has not yet been briefed"[...], "attendance at the 24th June meeting wouldn't be appropriate."
That was disappointin as we had hoped that someone from the DfI's Active Travel Branch would attend to shed some light on how they work with Translink. In the same email we were told that "[t]he Active Travel Branch (ATB) have advised that they engage with the All Party Group on Cycling, which you also attend. The aim of the group is to promote awareness and development of cycling policies and provision in Northern Ireland on a cross-departmental, cross-sector and cross-party basis. ATB look forward to continuing to engage with you through that forum and, unfortunately, will be unable to attend the event on the 24th of June."
Yes, we are a participant of the APG on Cycling. Unfortunately the APG has not sitting since the General Election campaign was announced and now we are in the summer break. The next meeting is on September 10, so that's three and a half months with no progress on Active Travel. That's not good. I will get that added as an agenda point for the next APG on Cycling meeting...
In preparation, the DfI's Active Travel Branch might want to take note of some of the initiatives that are part of the Republic's 2024 budget:
further reductions to the Young Adult Card giving 50% discounts on fares for 24 and 25 years olds on PSO and commercial services. This commitment has been secured for 2 years.
€360 million for walking and cycling infrastructure projects through the Active Travel and Greenways Programmes
€21 million ring-fenced for road safety including improvements to dangerous junctions and to conduct a review of the driver testing curriculum
The first point ensures that the next generation of drivers is familiar with Active Travel and the benefits it brings with it.
The second point lays the ground work for success: "Build it and they will come!"
The last point is critical because without safe infrastructure and adequate education and training of drivers a society cannot move on from the chaos cyclists suffer in Northern Ireland from the moment when they venture out the door on their bikes.
Getting back to Translink's pricing structure: Northern Ireland is in a budget crisis and Minister O'Dowd will say that there is nothing he can do without more funding from Westminster. Unfortunately that is a correct assessment of the situation. Northern Ireland was short-changed with the Windsor Agreement. Stormont has to renegotiate. Without a significant additional UK Government contribution Northern Ireland will continue to lag behind Great Britain and Ireland with respect to implementing Active Travel.
Where does that leave a traveller in terms of minimising the cost of a return journey from Belfast to Dublin? If you are time-constrained, go by train and make a single journey booking on the Enterprise train from Belfast to Dublin. Then buy the return ticket in Dublin. If you can spare an extra hour, purchase a single bus ticket down (it costs £9.50 online - if you pay cash, it's £17!), then buy an Enterprise ticket for the train journey home in Dublin.
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