The association has written to the chief executive of the National Transport Authority (NTA), Ms Anne Graham, seeking her intercession on behalf of retailers in the current highly unsatisfactory state of play regarding Terms and Conditions for the continued sale of the product by LEAP agents.
The vast majority of sales of the LEAP card is done within Dublin via the Payzone network. When Dublin Bus was relieved by NTA of the card system many years ago all Dublin Bus agents were offered the opportunity of continuing to sell the improved product, LEAP through the appointed distributor Payzone
The NTA are reported to have agreed to give An Post/Post Point the exclusive right to roll out LEAP across the country in anticipation of a much wider usage by various transport companies over the next number of years.
An Post / Post Point had originally suggested that all of the post office and Post Point agents would be able to sell LEAP cards, and that those existing Payzone agents that wanted to continue to sell the products to their customers would be facilitated.
It now transpires that such an offer to continue to sell comes at a significant disadvantage when compared with the existing terms. These include a reduction (on average 50% reduction )in commission, a non-refundable deposit of €500, no willingness to integrate the product into POS (leading to even more crowded till space), all of this and 2000 more retailers to compete with!
Payzone are entitled to continue to supply to their network until the end of March.
We see no reason for public funds to be used against Irish retailers who have helped to provide a brilliant level of service throughout the most difficult of times.