
Well, it’s not exactly the good news we’d hoped for. According to a study conducted by Greenpeace, Dublin has the worst public transport of thirty European capitals, just below London which came in second last.
The study looked at the price of tickets relative to other European capitals and the ease by which public transport users can travel in these different cities. Greenpeace has long since called for cheaper public transport and improvements in the way these forms of transport operate.
This is because the organisation believes that although public transport is better for the environment, people are being priced out of using it by high costs. The study states: ‘
‘In the context of the climate, energy and cost-of-living crises, the least polluting, healthiest and most efficient modes of transport should be affordable for everyone.’
The organisation would like the European Commission to facilitate ‘climate tickets’, ‘a Europe-wide single climate ticket’. These tickets would be affordable to all.
So why is Dublin in the bottom spot?
Well, Dublin scored a measly 36 out of 100 points on the rankings, compared to places like Tallinn in Estonia, which scored a full 100 points. The study argues that:
‘[Dublin] is the only city analysed which does not have a fixed-price long-term ticket for all means of transport and available for all passengers.’
You can, of course, buy monthly tickets but in other cities, you can buy tickets that entitle you to a far longer period of travel for a set, low price. Moreover, the price of a standard ticket is the second-highest in the rankings, at €3.16 per day.
There are places in Europe where domestic public transport is free, including Luxembourg and Malta. Plus, in some countries like Austria and Germany, low-priced, nationwide tickets that cost less than €3 per day exist.
You can read the full report here. In the top spots were Tallinn (Estonia), Luxembourg (Luxembourg), and Valletta (Malta). The bottom three are Amsterdam (Netherlands), London (United Kingdom), and Dublin.