Figures for Cork show more than 7% of bus engers last year had no valid ticket

On some routes the percentage was as high as 65%. Picture: Larry Cummins.
Documentation from the National Transport Authority (NTA) seen by
showed that of the 9,688 people checked for tickets on Cork buses in 2024, 724 were evading fares, meaning that 7.5% of people checked had not fully paid for their ticket.In 40.4% of cases across the bus service in general, people caught for fare evading were found not to have a ticket at all, while 56.7% were noted to be ‘over-riding’, meaning they were travelling further than the stop they had told the driver they would be getting off at and had paid for.
A further 2.9% had the wrong ticket classification, meaning they had a ticket meant for a student, child, or young adult but were found not to fit that category.
A standard fare (penalty fine) of €100 is charged by the company to each enger found not to be in possession of a valid ticket.