It’s only fair to pay your fare, indeed, you might be caught

People who use public transport in Ireland will be aware that on trains and trams company personnel make random checks to ensure passengers have a valid ticket. On urban and rural buses a different system is in use.

It seems to be the case that checkers are more often seen on early morning trams. It’s interesting watching them carrying out their job and how professional they are when they discover a passenger does not have a valid ticket.

In 2025 Luas fare evaders, who were caught in the act numbered 19,574.

The first driver-only buses were introduced in Dublin 1965; it was the mid-1990s before the last conductors were retired.

A story does the rounds that one of the last conductors when finished his job collecting fares continued going to work every day, arrived at his depot, did nothing all day, and the company paid him until he reached retirement age. 

The veracity of this story cannot be verified but it is a story that has done the rounds with CIE/Dublin Bus staff for many years.