Sir, – It is with sheer amazement that I read the head of the National Transport Authority (NTA), Gerry Murphy’s justification for the 5-10 per cent increase in fares for buses, trains and Luas from November 1st. According to him, fare increases were needed as passenger numbers dropped and fuel costs grew. Now, I’m no Nobel laureate economist, but my basic understanding of the demand / supply curve suggests he should be lowering prices, dramatically if need be, to get people back onto public transport; not hiking them up even further. If nothing else, the proposed hikes fuel further resentment between service users and service providers.
I look forward to reading further about the longer-term sustainability of this approach to pricing by the NTA. – Yours, etc,
VINCENT HIBBERT,
Camac Close,
Inchicore, Dublin 8.