Alliance Europe candidate Ian Parsley has cautioned Translink’s move to increase fares saying it will hit people hard and stated that doing this during the downturn will have a very negative impact. Bus fares will increase on 18 May by 2% and rail fares by 3%.
Ian Parsley said: “With the economic downturn, many people are assessing whether or not they can afford to run their car. People want to use public transport more but may be deterred from it because Translink are increasing fares.
“As a regular user of the train, I know Translink should be acknowledging the tightened purse strings and freezing their prices instead of announcing hikes.
“The public are also now looking at their own carbon footprint, and getting more people to use public transport will help the environment. This move from Translink will however have done little to persuade people to change their means of transport.
“Congestion on our streets is getting worse, and public transport provides a solution, but only if it is affordable to all.â€