Auckland public transport fares to rise

Wednesday, 15 January 2020

Inner-City trips have been hit the hardest by the fare increase.

Auckland public transport users face fare increases of up to ten cents from next month.

Auckland Transport said half of all its fares would be increased from February 9 to cover rising costs and expanded services.

The sharpest increases are for the shortest journeys, with a 10 per cent rise for adults on the Citylink route, down to a freeze on longer-distance fares for five zones and beyond.

'Operating costs increasing through inflationary pressures on, for example, diesel, and the introduction of many new bus services, unfortunately can't be completely absorbed, so we have had to introduce some slight fare increases,' said Mark Lambert, the executive general manager of integrated networks.

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Auckland Transport said councillors had approved a small general fare increase last May, and the average rise for bus and train users is 2.3 per cent.

Commuters will get previously-announced cheaper deals during the course of this year, such as free one-zone bus and train trips that connect with ferry travel, and free weekend travel for under-16s.

AT said the fare rise would contribute $3.4 million to the $15 million increase in providing public transport services.

The balance comes from increased funding from Auckland Council and NZTA, along with savings in other part of AT's budget.

The rise next month follows an average increase a year earlier of 2 per cent, after Auckland Transport made a brief and unsuccessful bid to get additional funding to enable a fare freeze.

Several initiatives to cut the cost for certain travellers have been approved with under-16s able to travel free on weekends since last September, when using an electronic ATHOP card.

From April, passengers using ferry services with an ATHOP card, will be able to connect with a bus or train at both ends without extra charge for a single zone.

The initiative will cost $700,000 in lost revenue, and it is estimated an additional 100-150,000 trips will be made.

The council is considering a budget proposal by Mayor Phil Goff, that would slightly reduce weekday fares for school students, and cost $4.1 million.

Other options have been costed by Auckland Transport, but not proceeded with.

Free weekend and public holiday travel would cost more than $19m, generating an additional 3.5 million trips.

Another patronage-booster would be capping the amount that could be spent in one day - effectively an unlimited day pass - which could cost $6.43m but add 1.69 million trips.

Similar initiatives had been backed by the climate change lobby Generation Zero, with a campaign it launched in March 2019.

In a 24-page report, it said the first step should be the scrapping of a Government policy requiring fares to cover half the cost of public transport.