76. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Transport the actions his Department is undertaking to deliver contactless payments on all public transport; the estimated timeline for the introduction of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63320/25]

Sentiment score: 0.01

Will the Minister of State outline the actions his Department has undertaken to deliver contactless payments on all public transport and the estimated timeline for the introduction of this?

Sentiment score: 0.00

It is disappointing to hear that this important development will not be rolled out for a number of years. As the Minister of State said, many other countries have had contactless payment options rolled out for years. However, we are still waiting for a trial run for the Dublin bus network, never mind elsewhere in the State. It is reflective of the wider failure of the current and previous Governments to keep up with technological advances. Another example of this is that TFI currently has five different smartphone apps for different public transport services, including a journey planner app, a Leap card top-up app, a taxi driver database app, an app for public transport tickets and an app for local services in certain parts of the State. Clearly, there is a need to amalgamate some of these apps to make getting public transport a more user-friendly and accessible experience. Are there are any plans to streamline these apps? Does the Minister of State intend to engage with the NTA on this?

Sentiment score: 0.03

I ask the Minister of State to comment on the streamlining of the various apps that exist to make it an easier experience for commuters. In addition, making a virtual Leap card available would be a major step forward in making the public transport system more user-friendly. The Leap card was first launched in 2011, for the Dublin area, and 14 years on, there is still no digital or virtual version available. Such digital cards exist in many cities around the world. They include the Clipper card in San Francisco and the Presto card in Toronto. Are there plans as part of this to develop a digital or virtual Leap card? Is there any timeline for same?

Sentiment score: 0.03