Public transport operators are to monitor passenger volumes and assess if extra services are required in the coming weeks following the lifting of the free travel pass restrictions by the Department of Social Affairs yesterday.
Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann both reported no notable increases in passenger numbers on the first day of the new free travel scheme which allows some 600,000 pensioners, people with disabilities, carers and welfare recipients to travel free at all times of the day.
The companies indicated, however, that it was too early to predict if current services should be developed at peak times, adding that the situation would be monitored while an advertising campaign on the changes is undertaken.
Previously, travel-pass holders were prohibited from using the travel passes on Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann services between 7am and 9am and again between 4.30pm and 6.30pm from Monday to Friday. In addition, restrictions were imposed on Friday evening travel from 4pm to 7pm within a 20-mile radius of Dublin, Cork and Limerick.
A spokeswoman for Dublin Bus said the company had requested an additional 100 buses through the Department of Social Affairs in March and that an announcement was expected shortly.
She said a survey undertaken by the company in relation to the lifting of the restrictions had indicated there would not be an increased demand on services by free travel-pass holders in early mornings or late evenings.
Marking the official end to restrictions yesterday, Minister for Social Affairs Séamus Brennan said travel-pass holders had been "severely curtailed" in the past from travelling in the main cities and surrounding areas.
He said the lifting of the restrictions was a recognition that many eligible free travel-pass holders, especially those with disabilities, were becoming increasingly more active in the workforce.
"Ending these restrictions also removes the need for people to have to go through the process of having to apply for special passes so that they can attend hospital appointments or educational, rehabilitative and therapeutic courses that are very often central to improving their recovery and improving their lifestyles," he said.
Fine Gael's family affairs spokesman, David Stanton, has welcomed the removal of the restrictions, adding however that other remaining restrictions needed to be examined by the Government.
"I have been made aware of situations where some free travel-pass holders, particularly those with disabilities, are being harshly treated," he said. "It appears that free travel pass holders cannot be issued return train tickets meaning that for each leg of their journey, the pass-holder has to queue up for a ticket."