Mika’s Minute – Metlink Future Fares Review

Words by Mika Hervel (he/him)

The Greater Wellington Regional Council is in the process of reviewing public transport fare prices and is asking for people to pitch in with their thoughts. This consultation is open until 5pm Friday 15 July. It is a great opportunity to engage with local government about how much public transport should cost. 

This consultation is part of a larger Public Transport Plan which the Council adopted last year. The Plan will inform how public transport is priced, designed and delivered over the next decade. Before making changes to how much public transport costs, the Council is keen to hear what people think about their proposed changes.

Greater Wellington Regional Council wants to introduce discounts for off-peak public transport use to incentivise people to travel at these times. They are proposing a further 35% off-peak discount to eligible tertiary students, community service cardholders, accessibility concession holders, and school-aged children. This 35% is deducted from the remaining fare after other concessions have been resolved. For example, if you are a community service cardholder and you are paying $1 for the bus, you can get 50% off (from central Government), making your fare 50 cents. The 35% concession is a further deduction leaving you with a 33-cent fare. 

The Council is also considering introducing a ‘fare capping’ system, where you receive an extra 35% discount on every trip after your first two in a day, or every trip after your first eight in a week.

When you submit, it might be worth considering whether you think the off-peak concession of 35% is enough to incentivise you to ride off-peak. Peak times are between 7am-9am in the morning and 3pm-6.30pm in the evening. Is travel outside of those times viable for you to get where you need to go? 

When considering who gets this extra 35% concession, think about whether only eligible tertiary students should get the discounts. ‘Eligible tertiary students’ means full-time students and excludes part-time students. Some part-time students cannot study full-time because, among other reasons, they need to work or look after their families. Is it fair that they be excluded?

Most tertiary students are also community service cardholders and are eligible for multiple discounts, some off-peak and some on-peak. If you find yourself confused and worried that budgeting for transport will become a mathematical nightmare because you are eligible for multiple different concessions, feeding back to the Council that the proposed system is too complicated could be worthwhile. Perhaps it would be simpler and more attractive if it were free?

To submit your views on this consultation, you can take a survey on the council’s website following this link: https://haveyoursay.gw.govt.nz/futurefaresreview. Alternatively, you can write your thoughts in a document and email them to futurefares@gw.govt.nz.