The National Transport Authority NTA has begun installing devices on the Cork city bus fleet to speed up the passenger boarding process.
The second biggest source of bus delays, after traffic congestion, is the payment process at bus stops where payment by cash is still commonplace. Even passengers with Leap Cards have to interact with the driver, leading to delays at bus stops. At busy stops with dozens of passengers boarding, these delays can last several minutes, and when the delays at all the stops on a busy route are included, they add up and increase the overall journey time.
The NTA said this Next Generation Ticketing project will significantly enhance passenger payment options as well as enabling more ticket choices, which are just not available on the existing system.
Passengers who have a Leap card and who currently have to go to the driver when boarding, will, instead, be able to present their Leap card at the validator and board the bus.
This validator installation project is underway at present and we expect to complete the installation on all Cork urban buses later this year. The Irish Examiner revealed last week that the NTA has begun issuing letters to hundreds of property owners across the city who may lose some of their lands for the STCs.
