The system carried 55 million journeys over the year, yet the number of successful appeals against penalties declined. Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show that 19,574 fines were issued in 2025, an increase of 10.6 per cent on the 17,691 recorded in 2024.

The total value of fines rose in line with volumes, reaching €908,835, compared with €825,475 the previous year. The average payment remained about €46.70, indicating most fines were settled within the 14-day period when the reduced €45 rate applies, before rising to €100 thereafter.

Ticket enforcement is managed by Transdev, with inspectors issuing standard fare notices to passengers travelling without valid tickets. Failure to pay can lead to court proceedings.

A Transdev spokeswoman said the operator was “proud of our strong fare compliance record, with 97 per cent of Luas passengers travelling with a valid ticket”, adding that a three per cent evasion rate reflected both staff diligence and passenger responsibility.

With approximately 150,000 journeys made daily, this suggests thousands of passengers evade fares each day. Data indicate an average of 54 fines were paid daily in 2025, although more notices may remain outstanding.

Passengers may appeal penalties, but successful appeals fell from 1,062 in 2024 to 876 in 2025. Common grounds included faulty ticketing devices and passengers forgetting to tag off on earlier journeys, invalidating subsequent trips.