85% of Parents say their older children are more reliant on the ‘Taxi of Mum and Dad’

According to a Bus Éireann Expressway survey, most parents spend between one and five hours driving their 16-24 year old children around each week, with 39% spending six hours or more 

  • The most common reasons parents drive their older children around are for socialising (59%), extra-curricular activities (53%) and to school (49%)
  • 17% of parents who responded to the survey and who have a second car, said that they could get rid of it if their children used public transport instead.
  • Only 9% of parents resent the time needed to transport their older children, with more than 40% enjoying the opportunity to spend time with them  
  • Last year, the Government reduced fares by half for people aged 16-23 years with a Student or Young Adult Leap Card – making public transport a more affordable alternative to the taxi of Mum and Dad

85% of parents say that older children are more reliant on them to be driven around compared to 20 years ago, according to a survey commissioned by Bus Éireann, Ireland’s national bus company, ahead of Fathers’ Day. 

The survey, conducted by Bounce Insights among parents of 16-24 year olds in Ireland found that 36% are happy to drive their children to their commitments once in a while, while 13% claim they feel taken for granted.

The most common reasons parents say that they drive their children around include socialising (59%), extra-curricular activities (53%) and to school (49%). About one-third of parents feel that it would not be safe for their older children to walk or cycle. 

Eleanor Farrell of Bus Éireann Expressway said:

’We are encouraging young people to give their parents this weekend off and to use public transport instead. With the Government’s decision to reduce fares by half with the new Student or Young Adult Leap Cards, there has never been a better time for young people to choose public transport and get some freedom from the taxi of Mum and Dad.’’

‘’More young people on public transport means fewer cars on our roads, with less traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions as a result. 17% of parents who responded to our survey and who have a second car, said they could get rid of it if their children used public transport instead.’’  AA Ireland has estimated that owning a car costs €10,386 annually.

On Bus Éireann public services, children aged 16-18 years can avail of half-price fares with a Child Leap Card (16-18). See leapcard.ie for further information on how to apply for the appropriate Leap Card for 16-23 year olds.

Ahead of Fathers’ Day on Sunday 18 June – the survey shows that many parents enjoy the chance to bond when driving their children around – with 40% saying that they like getting to spend time with their children when travelling.

When asked how their children felt about relying on their parents for transport – 22% said that their children are appreciative, with others saying their children felt grateful (19%), dependent (8%), frustrated (6%) and embarrassed (3%).

Bus Éireann saw a return to pre-Covid passenger numbers in 2022, with over 89.5 million passenger journeys, and added over 1.8 million kilometres of additional services for passengers through new and enhanced routes under the NTA Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan. Bus Éireann’s customer satisfaction currently stands at 92%.

According to a KPMG report commissioned by Bus Éireann – 65% of students and young people who use Bus Éireann services rely entirely on these services to get around. This report also showed that 88% of the population nationally live within 5km of a PSO bus stop.




Friday, 16th June, 2023