Free Auckland buses and trains to curb drunk driving

Tuesday, 18 December 2018

Passengers boarding buses and trains in Auckland from 4pm on December 18 won't have to pay

Aucklanders can travel home for free on buses and trains this Friday in a bid to curb drunk driving.

Auckland Transport is trialling the idea, after an approach from police, in the hope of reducing driving by those who have enjoyed festive season drinks.

'You can a have a drink after work, and you don't even have to think about the car, just get the bus or the train,' AT group manager metro Stacey Van Der Putten said.

Electronic ticket readers would be turned off at 4pm on Friday, in an initiative costing around $120,000.

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The plan would not extend to ferries, as only Waiheke Island had no public transport alternative, and was run as a purely commercial operation by Fullers.

Police were hoping the move would mean more people would leave their cars home on Friday.

'If you are in any doubt at all about being safe or legal to drive after drinking – don't drive. It's vital you look after your mates. Make sure you have a plan to get home safely,' Tāmaki Makaurau road policing manager Inspector Scott Webb said.

Auckland Transport said the free trips would be for those who board a bus or train from 4pm, for the rest of the day.

Extra staff and transport officers would be on duty for what was expected to be a busier than normal Friday afternoon.

The council-owned agency would be funding the move partly from its road safety budget and partly from public transport funding.

This would be the first time Auckland Transport has offered free travel across its public transport network.