Dublin Bus Accrue Almost €10m In Excess Bus Fare

Almost €10m has been paid in excess bus fares in the last five years, figures from Dublin Bus have revealed.

Dublin Bus do not issue change on board when more than the fare is paid, with passengers required to take their tickets into its headquarters on O'Connell Street to get their money back.

In the last year alone more than €1.9m has been collected by Dublin Bus in excess fares.

However, the figures also show a dramatic increase in the number of small change actually being reclaimed, a trend being attributed to the current financial situation.

Based on figures provided by Dublin Bus, last year passengers reclaimed 33% of the excess, this compares with 26pc of overpayments reclaimed in 2007.

Dublin Bus say that part of the unclaimed money has gone into a "rolling fund" to cover the company against future overpay redemptions – as there is no time limit on fund recovery.

Another part has also funded the annual Dublin Bus Community Spirit Awards, a cross-community city project in operation since 2003.

And interest payments earned on the €9.5m "Unclaimed Passengers Change Fund" were reinvested into bus services.

(H/CD)