Mayo welcomes free travel for children under nine
The new Transport for Ireland (TFI) Child Leap Card, which extends free travel to children aged between five and eight, has been warmly welcomed in Mayo.
Launched today by the Department of Transport, the card will expand free travel to almost 250,000 children nationwide, building on the existing scheme that already covers children under five.
Senator Mark Duffy, Mayo representative and Seanad spokesperson for Transport, said the rollout will make a real difference for local families.
“This scheme represents a significant step towards a more fair and inclusive public transport system,” Senator Duffy said, “From an early age, children will become more familiar with using buses, trains, and trams as a natural part of daily life.”
The initiative, first announced in Budget 2025, applies across all TFI services, including Local Link and the Connecting Ireland network.
Senator Duffy added that the card will ease the burden on parents juggling school runs and daily journeys.
“This step ensures that families, whether in cities, towns, or villages, can access public transport offerings as part of daily life,” he said.
He also highlighted that the measure is part of the National Transport Authority’s broader Fares Determination Strategy, which aims to ensure all passenger groups benefit equally from public transport.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.