Minister of Transport Michael Wood is remaining tight-lipped on whether the government has plans to extend cut-price fares for public transport users beyond 30 June.
Michael Wood waiting to catch an AirportLink bus to Puhinui Station Interchange on Friday. Photo: LDR / Stephen Forbes
Wood was in south Auckland for a whistlestop tour on Friday to promote the launch of the new reduced fares scheme.
From 1 April, public transport fares across the country have been cut by 50 percent as part of a government package announced in March.
The fare reductions will last until the end of June and cover all individual trips and AT Hop monthly passes and concessions.
Wood said the average person, who paid for two $5 fares a day to get to and from work, would save $25 a week.
"By halving fares we can directly reduce transport costs for households and encourage those who can to substitute their current car travel for public transport that is readily accessible," Wood said.
"Reducing public transport fares also provides households with more money to manage rising living costs, which will be impacted by fuel prices."
But he was unwilling to say if the government was looking at extending the scheme.
"We're really interested in making public transport more affordable and we're open to further conversations with local government," Wood said.
Further announcements would be made as part of next month's budget.
Wood said the government was still committed to funding the Community Connect trial with the Auckland Council which will offer half-price fares for Community Services card holders from 1 July.
Auckland Transport's executive general manager of integrated networks Mark Lambert said the region's public transport patronage was sitting at 45 percent of pre-Covid-19 levels.
"We really want to encourage people to get back onto public transport with these reduced fares. We're hoping with this decision we can get back to near those pre-Covid levels."
The cut-price public transport is part of a package of measures from the government in response to the cost of living crisis, with many people around the country facing soaring costs due to high inflation.
Taupō teacher Cameron Bramall was in Auckland prior to catching a flight on Friday. He was waiting for the AirportLink bus to Manukau and said he supported cheaper public transport.
Cameron Bramall says he supports cheaper public transport fares and a lot of people are doing it tough with rising costs. Photo: LDR / Stephen Forbes
"It's putting some money back into people's pockets."
He said fuel, food and transport costs were all really expensive at the moment and a lot of people were finding things tough.
However, he wondered if the move was "a response to the government's recent drop in the poll ratings".
Pukekohe resident Linda Jackison said she thought the cut-price fares were a great idea, despite the fact she and her husband Milton were both Gold Card holders and got free public transport anyway.
They regularly caught a train and then a link bus to the airport, and said after spending a year in Europe they had seen what good public transport had to offer.
"We're just catching up with the rest of the world," Milton said.
Pukekohe residents Milton and Linda Jackison say the cut-price fare scheme is a great idea. Photo: LDR / Stephen Forbes
Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
