Kildare Councillor Criticises Lack Of Investment As Public Transport Costs Rise

Monday, 7 September 2026 11:09

By Daniel Maher

Cllr Pender also questioned the lack of investment into services as prices rise.

A Kildare councillor has described the new public transport price rise as a blow to local people.

Fares are set to rise by an average of 15 per cent across bus and rail routes, including inter-city and local links across the country from 2027.

Speaking on Kildare Today, Social Democrats Councillor for Kildare-Newbridge MD, Chris Pender says it will have an effect on local people:

"We have so many people travelling in from areas using Local Link services, to get to a train to then get to work, so they're getting a 15 per cent increase on the Local Link fare and a 15 per cent increase on their train fare, among everything else that is happening.

He also highlighted that Newbridge commuters are being asked to pay around 15% more for public transport, 17 months after finally getting a "fairer" fare structure.

Before April 2025, the standard adult single fare from Newbridge to Heuston was €10.85, when Newbridge was brought into the new commuter fare system, that dropped to €6.00 on Leap, but now these commuters have experienced an increase in fare prices:

"This is the first significant increase since 2018 for a lot of places, but Newbridge has only been reduced, but two years after that [reduction] we're seeing an increase."

Cllr Pender also questioned the lack of investment into services as prices rise:

"Monasterevan was reopened in 2021, we had a car park increase in Kildare town, but commuters in south Kildare are being asked to pay even more for services they haven't seen upgraded in over 20 years."

The full interview can be heard below: