Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
BUS PASSENGER NUMBERS on the public transport network have returned to pre-pandemic levels.
That’s according to preliminary figures published by the National Transport Authority today.
Last year, 249 million passengers were carried on public transport, a considerable drop from the figure of 292 million in 2019.
However, by the end of the year, passenger numbers were close to, and in some cases above, pre-pandemic levels.
November 2022 is the latest month for which comparable data is available.
In total, 24 million journeys were made on public transport last November, compared to 24.5 million during the same period pre-pandemic in 2019, which represents a 98% recovery.
However, last November, the latest month for which comparable data is available, Bus Eireann carried 3.5 million passengers.
This is above the 3.3 million figure during the same period in 2019, before the pandemic.
Dublin Bus also saw an increase on pre-pandemic levels, carrying 11.56 million passengers in November of last year, compared to 11.54 million in November 2019.
Luas services meanwhile have seen a return to pre-pandemic demand; it carried 4.1 million passengers last November, the same number of passengers in November 2019.
While Irish Rail has not yet returned to pre-Covid levels, the service narrowed this gap every month last year.
Irish Rail carried 3.4 million passengers last November, a considerable drop from the 4 million over the same period in 2019, which marks an 85% recovery.
Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said Ireland is “an outlier for all the right reasons when it comes to public transport” and that the “post-pandemic bounce-back makes Ireland a new leader in public transport provision and confidence”.
He added that public transport has been “improved and strengthened” throughout the pandemic by “developing new routes and introducing a range of new fare offers”.
However, Minister Ryan added: “We need to do more, and we will do more. This government is absolutely committed to continuing to strengthen our public transport, and to connecting even more cities and communities, with buses, trains and light rail.”
Elsewhere, CEO of the National Transport Authority Anne Graham said the figures are “very encouraging”.
She added that is it a “testament both to the work being done by the operators and their staff, and to the faith that our customers have in the public transport offering in Ireland”.
Graham noted that Ireland is “ahead of the pack internationally when it comes to the post-Covid recovery of public transport passenger numbers”.
“The Netherlands for example has seen a recovery of just 78%, with a 77% recovery in Ontario Canada and a 72% in New York city,” said Graham.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
This will be an unpopular opinion, but Ireland ‘living with Covid’ may as well be the white flag of defeat. I have returned home from a country that aggressively dealt with the virus and where life returned to normal after hard measures were taken and the public complied with the measures. The doom and gloom brigade saying ‘we must live with it’ may as well say that we aren’t capable of behaving ourselves and aren’t able to contain any outbreak here due to our own selfish desires to go out, dragging things out for the better part of 6 months, so we may as well have our fun, and thats all that matters. Screw the elderly and vulnerable, the economy means more, we mean more, and if it means we lose more people, then so be it.
I hate this attitude, but its prevalent in Ireland. We should be better than this.
Rant over.
@Paul Cunningham: are you just back from Vietnam??
@Paul Cunningham: why are you protecting the country’s identity. Is it because you made it up?
@Its Me: Back a while from Vietnam, their mentality was that one life lost was a life too many, so they did everything they could to prevent covid deaths among the community, to the point of doing lung transplants for patients with it. Here you regularly see commenters saying how they know noone who has died, therefore its not real, and it infuriates me. As if this sort of thing is not worth anyones time when we all know there are hundreds of thousands of cases worldwide.
@Paul Cunningham: your “country that has aggressively dealt with Covid” is no more free of Covid than Ireland. They’ve just postponed it. Anyone who thinks that lockdown would kill the virus is deluded.
We were flattening the curve, not removing the curve.
@Its Me: I’m saying that because I was in Vietnam until March the 13th and was impressed by how they dealth with Covid. Out spraying streets at night, very local lockdowns no one in or out off towns. No messing with restrictions. It completely worked. Came back here and was shocked at how laid back Ireland was about Covid. Dang Nang a few weeks back was was sorted out ASAP. I agree 6 months later we are still dragging out heels.
@Cian Martin: the proof is in the facts, 10 cases in 7 days sounds like a place that is on top of things. Yes, I know the hard border is an issue, but our shower seem to only want us to go to Greenland so it seems like not much of a difference.
@Paul Cunningham: in March I told the company I work for about Vietnam measures. I was scoffed at. These countries are used to viruses and can handle them faster than the Western world. I think this side of the world wants to complicate measures than to go in with harsh and sharp measures. Too late for Ireland now and dragged out too long. Its arrogance on the Western worlds attitudes that they know better. Sometimes measures are simplier than NPHET solutions. Look where Ireland is now!!
@Its Me: good to know at least one other person on this has seen what I have seen and can vouch for a country that can wipe Covid off the face of the Earth, cheers!
@Paul Cunningham: lol, look up how they dealt with 2 British backpackers in Halong Bay. The two girls understood, were taken care off but not exactly the holiday they planned. Think it was in May. Was impressive but would definitely never happen on this side off the world. Human rights and all that. Fantastic country looking forward too going back.
@Paul Cunningham: yeah what type of country is it? What rights do citizens have?
@Its Me: I might go myself. Take in the no freedom of association, freedom of the press nor freedom of speech. I’ll see as far as the palm tree’s at the end of my cocktail glass. Beautiful place.
@Its Me: I might go myself. Take in the no freedom of association, freedom of the press or freedom of speech. I’ll see as far as the palm tree’s and the end of my cocktail. Maybe they’ll let me hide the new Gary Glitter. Wonderful place, lucky ducks.
@Brian Lee: what about Taiwan? A population of 28million that has had a total of 499 cases and 7 deaths. It is ranked two places higher than the US in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index and seven places ahead of it in human freedoms. Masks work.
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/freest-countries
@Paul Cunningham: Well said Paul, I completely agree with you. A country that was once considered a nation of great givers and should empathy to their fellow being, could not be accused of that today. We have become a nation of self entitled egocentrics.
@Kate Mchugh: oops showed.
@EillieEs: I deleted my comment as I was probably a little worse for wear when writing and worried about a reference so sorry if it makes look like you’re talking to yourself again! But I find your comment very strange. Because I never compared Vietnam to Taiwan so the whataboutery is misplaced and I didn’t mention masks either. I mentioned human rights abuses for the two wind up merchants there and threw in a Gary Glitter remark. But thanks for the link that has nothing to do with what I said. BTW I wear a mask everywhere I go. I
@Paul Cunningham: Child exploitation, 3 euro min wage on the end of your cocktail, slavery and extreme poverty. No freedom of speech, assembly or press. Having the mechamisms of oppression already in place to restrict movement isn’t effective management, its fascism. Wonderful place.
@Paul Cunningham: Its not the doom n gloom brigade as you called are saying it though….it’s people who want things back the way they were, not realising that for thing to go back the way they were, many more of us will be saying goodbye to our loved ones. I have no issue with the face coverings and all that, but some lads are crying how the restrictions impinge on our personal freedom. Well what about the freedoms of our vunerable. Its ok for them to be locked away or die!
@Brian Lee: I agree that I would also vouch for Taiwan. They have also been very active in suppressing the virus and have really put their heads together to clear the virus from their Island.
Vietnam has a lot of issues but Covid is not one of them, and socialist would be what I would use to describe them instead of fascist. They still have the internet in full and are not an active aggressor in the region unlike their northern neighbours.
I guess my take home point is that we can do better as a country and people to have a better life in the long run. We can suppress the virus rather than giving up and accepting a ‘new normal’ if we had the leadership and collective will to make it happen. For now though it really feels like the government just want to take the easy way out and have it linger around us and we slowly lose a lot of positivity with the constant threat of restrictions hanging over every business and citizen.
Don’t blame the wet pubs fuming. They know that the pubs serving food are flouting the situation big -time. In a pub Saturday night in deansgrange very few ordering food. Some staff not wearing masks. Social distancing Benin existent. We left .
@Getaldine Byrne: were u wearing a mask?….or is it justvbarstaff that are riddled?
@Getaldine Byrne: My word. What a terrible post. Even spelled your name wrong. Top work.
@Getaldine Byrne: I would really love to know where all these pubs/hotels flouting the rules are because since July, there is not ONE single place my husband and I have been where we were NOT told to leave within 105 minutes – even when we were residents in the hotel – I’m not kidding, it’s an absolute nightmare going away for a weekend, or even out for a meal as we’re treated like cattle, they’ve no problem taking our money though! I can’t wait for the pubs to open so we can decide what and where we can eat without a surly staff member with blotches on their face, scratching their nose approaching with a bill in one hand and sanitiser in the other.
HUP! HUP!
@Lao Tzu: if they don’t follow the rules they receive fines or may not get their licence removed. What should they do?
@Lao Tzu: Oh believe me they are. I would really love to know where you are, that are actually abiding by the rules.
@Lao Tzu: really most of my local pubs in Sth Dub,already flouting the rules, 105mins or ordering food is non existent for ‘regulars’ in most of these places,
In fairness, dublin numbers are always going to be high. The cities are where the majority of the population are. I’m originally from dublin and most of the pubs in dublin have some sort of food on offer. Rural country (where I live now) pubs, don’t have the facilities to do so and have been suffering for months. The only time I’ve seen a full pub in my village is one sunday a month when most of the locals gather around for a trad session. And that’s mostly in summer months, well behind us. Let the country business make a feckin living.
@Atlas’ burden: I do think that not opening the pubs just leads to people drinking at home, inviting friends around. At least in the pub there are things in place to minimise interactions. Not going to happen in people’s houses.
Truly hope the vintners union grow a pair and sue this government for destroying their lively hoods
@Tom Jones: Great idea Tom, sue the tax payer
@Sarah Connor: emm The government are not the tax payers we the public are!!
@Tom Jones: sure that’s the small time narrow minded vintners type of response alright.
@Tom Jones: where you think you are? The US?
@B: and the majority of we the public, if the journal ran a poll, will be very happy with the decision made.
The Dubs are going to go feral….
@Fred the Muss…: WE ALWAYS WERE YA SPUD GOBBLING INBRED
@Fred the Muss…: Rightly so. And before smug folk living elsewhere get their fun having at laugh at Dublin, remember it could be you tomorrow morning. No warning, shutters closed, jobs gone. Welcome to the ‘new reality.’
@Fred the Muss…: hopefully
@Stephen Gaffney: “spud gobbling inbred” lolol
@Stephen Gaffney: no argument except to name call! Yawn
@Joe_X: Joe, me you and your extra chromosome need to have a serious talk about the word ‘ sarcasm’.
@Stephen Gaffney: so hard to tell with the written word…..
The power struggle between Micheál and Leo is like watching a game of Snap between two blind millionaires on the Mary Celeste.
@Lao Tzu:
Leaving personal preferences aside, there’s no power struggle between those two upstanding gentlemen! Next five years is already mapped out politically to ensure stability, via three-Party Coalition.
All are working hard on behalf of the Nation to steer us through the toughest Government program possible, dealing with the usual stuff plus expanding Budget deficits linked to Covid-19, and Brexit.
Micheal doesn’t need the current backbiting from the disgruntled on his own side. It is an unedifying spectacle, especially since there’s no other stand-out candidate currently within FF to fill his boots. Dr Jack might be someone with that gravitas, in the fullness of time, when he gets out of short pants.
In the meantime, Ireland has a settled Government to see us through to 2025.
There’s actually no such thing as a wet pub. The media and gov just made it up. Its a makey uppy name. There’s only pubs.
@Colum Cusack: did they make up gastro pubs too? Perhaps they did that so they could define which serves food and which doesn’t. Doncha hate when people use words to describe things? Bleedin bourgeois nouns and such..
@Adrian O’Donnell: dunno about gastro pubs, but they defo made up the name wet pubs. Its a bit shot really,
I couldn’t give a flying f**k about the pubs I’m more concerned about trying to se a GP as some things can’t be done over a phone
@sandra clifford: agreed. I havent seen mine since just after Xmas. In the mean time I’ve had Covid19 and had two important hospital screenings cancelled due to covid-19. I understand the reasons for being cautious but it’s time some efforts were made to see patients in person.
@sandra clifford: seems to depend on your GP. I went to see mine. No problem.
@sjr: same here, and no hospital appoinment has been cancelled on me except for one I put off myself, which I have since had done.
But sure if we’re all good boys and girls they might open the pubs next month in Dublin?
If you only watch one YouTube video in your life it should be this one. Covid is not a pandemic and the government are making a mountain out of a mole hill
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8UvFhIFzaac
@Eamon: you need to look up the definition of “Pandemic” really. Please please do.
Can u send me out the the poison pill in the post I’ve had enough
@sandra clifford: a no Sandra. Well get through this. There off licences lol
This is yet another joke of a decision, and yet again the so called wet pubs bear the brunt of what seems to be the only decision that this government are capable of these days. If they’re insist on not reopening the pubs in Dublin, then close all pubs, close restaurants, close non food shops, bring in a proper lockdown, not this rubbish again of not opening the pubs.
May as well simply announce that non food Dublin pubs will only reopen with a vaccine. The reality is Dublin is more densely populated. It is also a hub for travel, so as long as schools are open, people from all over the country and elsewhere are free to work and travel to and from here, and shops and other businesses are open, numbers will never be in line with the rest of the country. This few weeks nonsense every few weeks is soul destroying.
@Carol Oates: all the dubs have to do is flatten their curve. If people didn’t bring a bag o cans around to a neighbours gaff as frequently as they do, maybe the numbers will fall. The response is in line with the cause where Dublin is concerned. That said, keeping pubs closed in the capital seems counter intuitive when drinking on a licenced premises is a safer option than having friends over for a few. Publicans can and will police their patrons whereas there’s little or none of that in the home.
Come on pu s s y government close Dublin if you can let’s go on protest again and again nect Saturday 200000 people will be march on street
I bet Dublin people are pi**ed about this.
Fake fake fake all is fake NWO want control people put mask like animals
have your say