New ticketing system promises faster boarding and seamless transfers across city services, with rail integration planned for 2025
Cork commuters will benefit from significant changes to public transport fares and boarding systems from August, as the National Transport Authority rolls out the first phase of improvements designed to make city travel more convenient and affordable.
The most significant change will see the introduction of a flat 90-minute Leap card fare for all Cork city bus services, allowing passengers to transfer between routes without paying additional charges during that time window. This represents a major shift from the current distance-based pricing model, where fares range from €1.35 to €1.55 depending on journey length.
The rollout will happen in three phases. Initially, the 90-minute flat fare will apply only to Cork city bus services from August. Later in 2025, the system will expand to include both bus and rail services, covering journeys between Kent Station, Little Island, and Glounthane stations. From 2026, a new distance-based fare structure will apply to commuter bus services within a 30-kilometre zone extending from Cork city centre, reaching as far as Midleton, Mallow, Bandon, and Kinsale.
Perhaps equally significant for daily commuters is the planned introduction of new ticketing equipment featuring pole-mounted Leap card validators on each bus. This “tag-on” system will allow passengers to board without queuing at the driver’s position, potentially reducing delays at busy stops throughout the city.
However, the new ticketing hardware has been delayed beyond the original August target due to software and technical issues, though fare changes will still proceed as planned.
Oliver Moran, Green Party councillor for Cork City North East:
“These changes are going to make a real impact. They’re the first stage of the overall BusConnects programme that people will actually experience. A flat 90-minute fare means people not being punished for changing services, even different kinds of services. Moving to a tag-on type system away from the driver means buses boarding faster. That’s going to help with queuing times at busy stops like St Patrick’s Street, Kent Station, and Clontarf Street.”
The changes come as Cork prepares for major transport infrastructure developments, including high-frequency commuter rail services and the eventual introduction of light rail. The fare restructuring aims to encourage greater public transport usage across the metropolitan area.
For regular commuters who currently pay multiple fares when connecting between services, the 90-minute window could represent substantial daily savings. The system mirrors the successful TFI 90-minute fare already operating in Dublin, which has contributed to increased passenger numbers across the capital’s transport network.
The integration with rail services planned for 2025 will create a more unified transport network across Cork’s eastern corridor, potentially making commuter rail a more attractive option for workers in Little Island’s industrial estate and surrounding areas.
While the technical delays are disappointing, transport officials expect the boarding improvements to have an immediate impact on service reliability once implemented, particularly during peak hours when passenger volumes create bottlenecks at popular city centre stops.
The new fare structure will apply to the existing bus network before the full Cork BusConnects network launches next April, representing the first tangible changes passengers will experience from the broader transport transformation programme.