Buses, trams and trains can operate at 100% capacity for the first time in 18 months.
However, the National Transport Authority believes it will be some time before most services are actually full again.
Masks are set to remain mandatory on public transport beyond October 22nd and the easing of most remaining restrictions.
However, the return to full capacity means the now-familiar yellow signs blocking off seats are being removed.
Anne Graham, Chief Executive of The National Transport Authority, spoke to The Pat Kenny Show reporter Josh Crosbie about the return to full capacity.
She said: “As schools go back and people come back to the office, we’ll have more capacity available for them.
“At the moment, on average we’re running at about 55% of pre-COVID times - it’s still relatively quiet. We’ve seen transport busier at weekends, actually - around 70-80% of pre-COVID levels.
“We expect demand will build slowly - while some trains, trams and buses will be busy at peak times… we expect not to have full buses for the majority of our services. There will be quiet services for those that are feeling a little bit nervous.
“We will see a slow build week-on-week as society begins to reopen.”
She noted all services have been running this year, albeit at reduced capacity.
"I would rather they leave it the way it was"
Josh also spoke to some commuters this morning about the return to 100% capacity.
One man said: “I get two buses every morning and every evening. I would rather they leave it the way it was because I think it is too confined with people too close together. I think it is a little dangerous.
“I would be concerned if a stranger sat beside me. I think I would get up and move somewhere else if there was another vacant seat.
“If you go to the pictures now you have to be one-metre away from each other - I mean, what is the difference?”
One woman said she’s a little anxious about the return to full capacity.
She said: “I’m taking a slightly later train than I normally would have taken so there was plenty of space and I think it will probably be like that as people slowly come back.”
