Leap Cards to be made available in 2,500 outlets thanks to NTA/An Post link-up

1 July 2022

• An Post awarded subcontract to supply Leap retail services
• Travel card top-ups available in 2,500 Post office and PostPoint outlets
• Leap win boosts local access to services
• Contract extends range of local services available through An Post

TFI Leap Cards are to be made available in every post office across the country, thanks to a new arrangement between the National Transport Authority (NTA), Cubic Transportation, and An Post.
 
From early 2023, buying or topping up a Leap Card in-store will be exclusively available through An Post’s 920 Post Offices and 1,600 PostPoint convenience stores nationwide, Ireland’s largest retail network.
 
This is as a result of a five-year contract An Post has signed with Cubic Transportation Systems as part of Cubic’s contract with NTA to deliver the Leap operations services in Ireland. The contract between NTA and Cubic was signed in April this year.

A Leap Card is the easiest way to pay your fare on public transport around Ireland. Leap is valid on all Bus Eireann services nationwide including city services in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford.
 
Payment by Leap is also available on current town bus services in Athlone, Sligo Town, Kilkenny City, Drogheda, Dundalk, Navan, Balbriggan, Cavan Town, and will be available on future services in Carlow Town, Portlaoise, Mullingar, Letterkenny and Ennis.

Leap is also valid for many journeys on the TFI Local Link network in rural Ireland. Regular Rural Services in Cavan, Monaghan, Longford, Westmeath and Roscommon already accept Leap payment. Rollout of Leap on these services nationwide is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.
 
Iarnród Éireann’s DART and commuter services in the greater Dublin area and commuter services in Cork all accept Leap payment. Leap is valid on all Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead Ireland services in the Dublin area, and on Luas.
 
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said: “In the Programme for Government, we outlined our belief that An Post had untapped potential to do more and make a further significant contribution across many areas of public, business and community life in Ireland.
“This contract with Cubic and NTA 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.”
 
Welcoming today’s announcement, Minister of State with responsibility for Postal Services Hildegarde Naughton TD said “The transformation of the Post Office Network is continuing and, as a Government, we are committed to a sustainable An Post and post office network – as a vital component of the economic and social infrastructure throughout Ireland. The provision of Leap products is a really welcome addition to the socially valuable suite of services already being provided across the country by the Post Office Network.”
 
“Today’s announcement is a clear demonstration of the work that is ongoing to win new business and to explore opportunities for new and enhanced products and services.”
 
Debbie Byrne, Managing Director of An Post Retail today said: “We are delighted to add Leap products to the already comprehensive range of bill payment and top up services available across our retail network. We have a long history of being the front office for a range of government services, including the NTMA range of State Savings products. The addition of Leap products extends the range of convenient, trusted services customers can avail of across Post Offices and PostPoint convenience stores.
 
“Our ambition is to continue 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”.
 
Anne Graham NTA CEO said: “Leap is already widely used in Dublin and other cities, and we want to make sure that buying or topping up a 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 Cork and other cities, so that public transport can become more useful to more people.
 
“For these reasons, it makes sense for us to enter a partnership with Cubic and An Post that will see the number of Leap retailer more than double to 2,500 across the country.”
 
Commenting on the partnership with An Post, Jonathan Williams, Cubic Transportations Business Development Director, Ireland said:

“With over 2,500 outlets, the An Post Group can offer Cubic and Leap Card customers the largest, secure and recognisable retail network across Ireland. The An Post brand is one of the most trusted in Ireland, and the combination of the Post Office network plus the PostPoint convenience store network offered us, in Cubic, a fantastic retail network to provide the best coverage for Leap customers.”