Free public transport: How to ride Auckland's buses, trains and ferries for nothing this month

Thursday, 6 June 2019

Auckland Transport chair Lester Levy, the mayor Phil Goff, and Transport Minister Phil Goff announce a fare-free day at Akoranga Bus Station

Aucklanders can ride public transport fare-free for a day this month, to mark a milestone with annual patronage hitting 100 million trips.

Free travel will be offered on Sunday June 23, in a move hoped to attract new, regular passengers.

Patronage on Auckland's public transport is up 7.6 per cent on a year earlier

'It's a gesture by Auckland Transport to say thank you to Aucklanders and to encourage new commuters to try out public transport,' said the mayor Phil Goff.

Public transport patronage grew 7.6 per cent over the past year, and the free day is part of a drive to accelerate growth.

Trains, buses and most ferries will be free on Sunday June 23

* More free public transport being considered for Auckland

* Auckland's free buses and trains has released a genie out of the bottle

* Councillor asks Auckland Transport to look at extending free public transport**

Those travelling on the free day can simply board buses, trains and ferries except for Waiheke Island, without brandishing AT HOP cards.

Auckland Transport won't know scientifically how successful the day has been, as passenger boardings will be recorded only on trains and ferries.

A rough calculation based on their estimates for making all weekends and public holidays free, suggest an extra 23,000 trips might be taken.

AT will run six-carriage trains in place of the normal off-peak three carriages, and said there is plenty of spare capacity on the normal bus services.

Aucklanders last took 100 million trips in a year back in 1951, from a peak of nearly 120 million in 1944 when the city had a thriving tram network.

A political push to boost public transport use began at the start of the year, driven by Planning Committee chair Chris Darby and the deputy Richard Hills.

This followed the success of a move at the request of Police, which made public transport free after 4pm on the last Friday before Christmas, largely to reduce drink-driving.

AT estimated patronage during that fare-free period was up 40 per cent on normal.

Two initiatives are part of the council's annual budget, with f ree weekend travel for under 16s starts in September, and cheaper journeys that include a ferry and connecting legs, from February 2020.

Costing $1.1 million a year, these were the cheapest and easiest measures from a long list of options.

The government is looking at one possibility proposed by the Greens in the coalition agreement - a discount for those on lower incomes who hold a Community Services Card.