Sinn Féin TD for Waterford, Conor D. McGuinness, has said new figures obtained from the Minister for Transport confirm that the scale of increase facing many Waterford Leap Card users will be higher than initially reported. 

A response to a Parliamentary Question from Deputy McGuinness confirms that the standard Waterford Leap fare will increase from €1.35 to €1.70 from January 2027 — an increase of 26%.

Deputy McGuinness said:

“These new figures confirm the real scale of the fare increase facing Waterford passengers. The information I have received from the Minister shows that the increase for those paying the standard fare is 26%.

“That is a very significant increase, particularly for people who rely on public transport every day. We are already being contacted by constituents who are concerned about the impact this will have on their household budgets.

“As my colleague David Cullinane TD has highlighted, this comes in the context of Waterford still waiting for the investment and improvements promised under BusConnects, including better frequency and connectivity.

“People are being asked to pay substantially more for a public transport system that still has significant gaps in the service being provided.

“The Minister also confirms that the new flat €1.70 fare is a prerequisite for introducing a 90-minute fare in Waterford. But there is still no clear date for when that will happen.

“Waterford passengers should not be expected to pay more now for improvements that remain some way down the road. We need affordable fares alongside the investment and better services that passengers have been waiting for.”