Student Bike to College Scheme

The Healthy Trinity: Smarter Travel Committee would like to see a Student Bike to College Scheme introduced by the government. The Bike to Work scheme available to staff has been very successful at changing perceptions of cycling and improving accessibility to bikes and cycling. We believe an equivalent for students could reap similar benefits.

In advocating for a student bike to college scheme, our Committee has taken the following actions:

1. Suggested a student bike to college scheme to government when speaking at the Citizen's Assembly on Climate Change.
2. Asked for a student bike to college scheme in Trinity's submission to Dublin City Council on transport policy to support social distancing as Dublin reopens after COVID-19 restrictions.
3. Submitted this unsuccessful funding application for a student bike to college pilot. The funding application was co-made by the Healthy Trinity:Smarter Travel Committee, TCD SU and Trinity GSU. The design of the scheme was student led, and may be a useful template to government for how a scheme could be run.
4. Asked for a student bike to college scheme in Trinity's submission to the National Transport Authority on the Draft Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2022-2042.

At time of writing, the government is offering grants for purchasing e-cars. Trinity has 1% car use. These grants therefore, are irrelevant to our students and the vast majority of our staff, at least when commuting to Trinity. The Healthy Trinity: Smarter Travel Committee feels a fairer and more cost-effective measure would be to offer a student bike to college scheme.

TravelHub New Ticket Types from June 2025

If you are availing of our TravelHub Tax Saver travel passes, please be aware ticket types and prices for public services in the Greater Dublin Area and National All Services tickets are changing from start dates of June 2025. Multimodal tickets will be under the operator Taxsaver - Irish Rail and Multimodal Zone Fares. 

Hubex (TravelHub) is arranging a series of webinars for employees. You can sign up here:

• Apr 17, 2025 11:00 AM - New Zonal Taxsaver Tickets: Register here 
• Apr 24, 2025 01:00 PM - New Zonal Taxsaver Tickets: Register here 

Here is further information on the changes and the savings you can make:

• Ticket types from start dates from June 2025 - Employees can order these already now by choosing a June 2025 start date on the order form.
• Table of Options for post June 2025 tickets for Existing Ticket-holders - Employees can find their current ticket and see what new tickets they might select.
• Analysis of how many trips a week you need to make before annual tickets are better value - For most ticket types, annual tickets are cheaper for higher rate taxpayers if they make two return trips per week, or for standard rate taxpayers after three return trips per week. Full details at the link.

If you have any queries please feel free to reach out to hr@tcd.ie or directly to TravelHub at info@hubex.ie. 

Notes:

• See https://trinitycollege.travelhub.ie/tickets for details of the different ticket types including multi-operator or multi-zone ticket and which operator they can be found under on the online order form.
• Staff who ordered a Travel pass ticket before 18 September 2019 should register in the new site for renewing their ticket.
• If you have previously registered on trinitycollege.travelhub.ie for Bike to Work or Travel Pass, using your TCD email address and 8 digit Staff ID number, then your account will automatically migrate across to the new Travelhub account and you can login immediately.
• If you registered previously using a personal email address and/or an incorrect Staff ID number, you will need to register a new account on the new microsite.
• All applicants will be required to confirm they have read and agree to the terms and conditions of the scheme which are available during the application process.
• If this is your first application with TravelHub, you will receive a new Leap card with your ticket order. Any orders from your subsequent applications will be loaded onto this card electronically.
• Travel Pass will be sent to your home address until there are arrangements in place to collect from UHR Service Centre.
• Once purchased, the staff member is liable for the full cost of the travel pass and no changes, transfers, partial refunds or cancellation will be available under any circumstance. (Some exceptions may apply during the Covid-19 Restriction period. Please see below for cancellation process.)
• Bike to Work Scheme can be availed of every 4 years as per Revenue guidelines. The tax year in which the bicycle is provided counts as the first year. For example, if you used the scheme during any month in 2020, you can use the scheme again from 1 January 2024. The Government has also increased the limits eligible for the Bike to Work Scheme from €1,000 to €1,250 for regular bikes, €1,500 for electric bikes, and €3,000 for cargo bikes or electric cargo bikes.

Terms & Conditions

• The staff member must be employed by Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin on a full-time, part-time, term-time or fixed-term contract at the closing date of the Travel Pass Scheme.
• Trinity will purchase the annual ticket on behalf of the staff member. All participants are required to authorise payments to be deducted from gross salary on a fortnightly/monthly basis over a 12-month period or in equal instalments over the remainder of their contract as at the date of application. Deductions commence during the month the ticket is valid from. If the staff member is a term worker, repayments will be deducted over the amount of weeks they are rostered to work.
• Once purchased, the staff member is liable for the full cost of the travel pass and no changes, transfers, partial refunds or cancellation will be available under any circumstance.
• If the staff member leaves during the year, any balance due to the College will be deducted from their final salary. Please note that there is no Travel pass cancellation facility available at this time.
• Where the final net salary is insufficient to repay the balance due, then the staff member must repay the shortfall by cheque prior to departure. Alternative arrangements may be entered into at the discretion of Human Resources.  Please note:  once your final payment has been processed, the tax benefit cannot be availed of, i.e. the staff member cannot avail of the tax benefit on the outstanding balance.
• If the staff member takes unpaid leave during the year, any balance due to the University will be deducted from their final salary. Where the final net salary is insufficient to repay the balance due, then the staff member must repay the shortfall by cheque/bank draft prior to departure.
• A new online application is required for renewals. It is the responsibility of the staff member to keep their profile updated of any change in details or circumstances.
• It is mandatory to register your travel card with www.leapcard.ie as the travel provider will only process the replacement on line in the event of a Lost or Stolen Card. To request a replacement for a lost/stolen TaxSaver TFI Leap Card just login to your Account, select the 'Refund or Replace' option and follow the instructions to get a replacement.