Dallat blasts Translink fare increases as 'unwarranted and unjustified'

Bus and train fare increases introduced by Translink have been slammed as “unwarranted and unjustified” by East Derry SDLP MLA John Dallat.

From today, passengers are having to pay an average increase of 4.5% - more than four times the rate of inflation.

Translink said the rise was a "last resort" and fares across all of its services had been frozen since 2013.

However, Mr Dallat, the SDLP’s transport spokeperson, accused Translink of embarking on a “campaign to cause maximum irritation” with those they should be consulting with.

He added: “The Assembly’s Regional Development Committee which has a statutory responsibility to scrutinise those companies under the control of the Department of Regional Development was not informed of the increases and given no opportunity to have any input in the alterations to the fare structure of buses and trains. 

“The Consumer Council, which also has a statutory responsibility to represent the public on issues relating to public transport was also left in the dark.

“All this comes against a background of falling fuel prices which obviously do not reflect in the fare increases now imposed by Translink on the hard-pressed commuters, many of whom who haven’t seen a pay increase for years. 

“These fare increases will have a profound impact on people living in the rural areas and using public transport to travel to Belfast to work”

He concluded:  “Some must be wondering if it is worth the effort given the ever-increasing lump of their wages going into travel.”