Commuter groups, opposition parties, and others are encouraging people to join a protest against public transport fare hikes this evening in Dublin outside Leinster House at 6pm.The planned protest comes after the Government was criticised for 15-35% increases in public transport fares from 2027, and the National Transport Authority yesterday confirmed further hikes are likely if inflation continues to rise. The fare increase announcement happened at the same time as the Government confirmed the price of fuels at the pumps would be protected According to RTE, Hugh Creegan,deputy CEO of the National Transport Authority, said that future increases will Be decided on a year-by-year basis All were flagging is that there will be future fare increases.There are zero decisions made on what they might be, he told Sinn Fin TD Louis OHara at the NTAs appearance before the Oireachtas Committee on Transport.It was also reported yesterday by TheJournal.ie that the NTA expects that for every 10% fare increase, passenger numbers will fall by 3%.The protest today is supported by Sinn Fin, the Labour Party, the Social Democrats, the Green Party, People Before ProfitSolidarity,the national collective of Commuter Groups in Galway, Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Drogheda, Friends of the Earth, the National Womens Council, Irish Doctors for the Environment, South East on Track and a number of student unions.Jason Cullen, chairperson of the Dublin Commuter Coalition, said: Its outrageous that public transport has been underfunded so badly that campaign groups are required to take to the streets and demand that Government keep sustainable travel affordable.