AN POST LINK UP MARKS GREAT LEAP FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT ACROSS THE COUNTRY
30 June 2023
An Post and the National Transport Authority (NTA) this week celebrated a great ‘Leap’ forward in the provision of public transport services across Ireland as the latest of some 2,300 An Post outlets nationwide began providing the TFI Leap Card service.
Buying or topping up a TFI Leap Card in-store is now exclusively available through An Post’s c910 Post Offices and 1,400 PostPoint equipped convenience stores nationwide, Ireland’s largest retail network.
The MD of An Post Retail, Debbie Byrne joined Minister of State Jack Chambers TD and Anne Graham, CEO of the NTA, to announce the latest milestone making TFI Leap Cards available in every post office across the country. Minister Chambers has responsibility for Transport and Communications networks.
Joining them was Irish athlete Reece Ademola, an international long jumper, representing a new generation of Ireland’s young high achievers who will be using TFI Leap to navigate their way to college, to work and to travel in the future.
Reece who 'Leaps’ with Mayfield AC in Cork stands at 6 foot 9 inches tall, and the 19-year-old finished fifth in the long jump at the World U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia last year breaking the national U20 record. Reece has a big future in the sport and is tipped as an Olympic hopeful. He has just hit ‘A’ standard for the World U23s and been selected for the National Team games in Poland.
The nationwide expansion of the TFI Leap Card was made possible by a five-year contract between An Post and Cubic Transportation Systems as part of Cubic’s contract with NTA to deliver the TFI Leap operations services in Ireland.
A TFI Leap Card is the easiest way to pay your fare on public transport around Ireland. Leap is valid on all Bus Éireann services nationwide including city services in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. Payment by TFI Leap is also available on town bus services in Athlone, Sligo Town, Kilkenny City, Drogheda, Dundalk, Navan, Balbriggan, Cavan Town, and will be available on future services in towns across Ireland.
TFI Local Link services are provided by 15 Transport Co-ordination Units (TCUs) in every county across the country, and Leap payment is available on just about all Regular Rural Services on that network. Iarnród Éireann’s DART and commuter services in the greater Dublin area and commuter services in Cork all accept TFI Leap payment. TFI Leap is valid on all Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead Ireland services in the Dublin area, on LUAS and on many licensed public transport services delivered by commercial operators across the country.
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said: “This LEAP by An Post and the NTA means that people now have 2,300 additional places where they too can make the leap into Ireland’s rapidly improving public transport system. I believe that this initiative will not only make it easier for people to avail of sustainable transport options in all parts of the country but will further cement the position and potential of the Post Office at the heart of communities across Ireland for a wide variety of valuable public services.”
“The NTA contract with Cubic is a great example of how An Post can emerge as a central hub for a wide variety of valuable public services.
“I believe that this initiative will not only make it easier for people to avail of sustainable transport options in all parts of the country but will further cement the position of the Post Office at the heart of communities across Ireland.”
Jack Chambers TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Transport and also Postal Services said “The transformation of the Post Office Network continues and, we as a Government, are committed to a sustainable An Post and post office network – as a vital component of Ireland’s economic and social infrastructure.
“The provision of TFI Leap products is a welcome addition to the valuable suite of services already being provided across the country by post offices and through local shops and stores via Postpoint.
“The move is an example of An Post’s commitment to exploring opportunities for new and enhanced products and services.”
Debbie Byrne, Managing Director of An Post Retail today said: “Today is a particularly important day for An Post as we add TFI Leap to the already comprehensive range of bill payment and top up services available across our retail network.
“Our ambition is always to build a sustainable and successful national post office network offering new and relevant products and services for communities on their doorstep. We want to ensure that no matter where you live in Ireland, you have access to essential everyday services through Post Offices and PostPoint convenience stores.”
Anne Graham NTA CEO said: “TFI Leap is already widely used in Dublin and other cities, and we want to make sure that buying or topping up a TFI Leap Card is as easy as possible, wherever you are in Ireland.
“Under our Connecting Ireland plan, we will see more and more communities in rural Ireland and in regional centres, served by an improved bus service. We are also making it easier for people to choose sustainable transport options through initiatives such as BusConnects in our cities and improvements in our tram and commuter rail services, so that public transport can become more useful to more people.
“The contract with Cubic and An Post will see the number of TFI Leap retailers more than double to 2,300 across the country offering more opportunities to avail of the savings that TFI Leap Card offers.”
