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Public transport fares in Auckland will rise from February 4.
Auckland Transport (AT) says the increase is necessary to help meet the rising cost of running and maintaining Auckland’s public transport network.
In a press release, AT Public Transport & Active Modes director, Stacey van der Putten, said with the impacts of Covid-19 and extreme weather in mind, AT deferred last year’s fare increase until April and in 2022 there was no increase at all.
“But operating costs have spiked dramatically over this period, driven by high inflation and staff shortages. Adjusting fares to raise revenue is unfortunately one of the steps AT needs to take to cover these higher costs,” van der Putten said.
A weighted average increase of 6.2 percent will be implemented across AT’s fare structure. For standard adult fares, this works out to be an increase of between 6-40 cents per journey on buses, trains and ferries. The increase for longer journeys is between 1 percent and 4 percent.
Having an additional impact is the fact that in July 1 last year, half-price public transport fares stopped for most, with only children under 13 riding for free. Half-price fares for community services card holders and people under 25 remain, although National wants to scrap them.
AT says patronage growth is forecast to continue and will generate more revenue to help meet operating costs. It is expected that growth will be accelerated by the introduction of contactless payments for fares via debit/credit card, Apple Pay and Google Pay later this year, which will make public transport more accessible for those without a HOP card.
An independent review of AT’s fare structure is underway, which could result in simpler fares and more affordable public transport for frequent users. The review will explore initiatives such as a weekly fare cap, and its findings are expected in the coming months.
