Mayor Phil Goff pledges cheaper weekday fares for school pupils in Auckland

Wednesday, 3 July 2019

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff with the walking school bus to his old primary school.

Slightly cheaper public transport fares for school pupils are promised by Auckland's mayor Phil Goff if re-elected in October.

The first element of Goff's election transport policy involves upping the weekday discount offered to under-15s and secondary students to 50 per cent of adult fares.

Goff said the policy would cost $4.13 million dollars, and is forecast to add 355,000 public transport trips a year.

'If we get more school kids using buses, trains and ferries, particularly during rush hour school traffic, we will reduce congestion for everyone in the city, said Goff.

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The policy is costlier and with a smaller patronage benefit than one of two initiatives already adopted by the council.

From September under-16s can travel free at weekends in a move costing $643,000 but boosting anticipated patronage by 989,000.

Goff's policy will mean small fare reductions, with school pupils already entitled to discounts ranging from 40 - 47 per cent.

If his policy was adopted by the next council, a one zone fare using an ATHOP card, would fall by 8 cents, and a two zone by 33 cents a trip.

'For a child travelling across two zones, over the year, the savings will be $114 and over three zones that will increase to $171 – and this is just on school travel,' said Goff in a statement.

The cost is made up of a forecast loss of revenue of $2.6 million, and an extra $1.53 million in running costs to provide additional services to meet demand.

From February the council has already committed to link ferry fares to the main fare system, meaning connecting journeys on buses or trains would be free or cheaper.

Further work is going on with the government in incentives to accelerate the shift of commuters out of vehicles.

Goff's main challenger John Tamihere has yet to announce Transport policy, but has vowed to sack the board of the council agency Auckland Transport.

In March, the youth climate change lobby group Generation Zero launched a campaign calling for cheaper fares, free weekend travels for families, and a new range of daily and weekly fare caps.

Generation Zero also proposed boosting the tertiary fare discount from the current 20 per cent level to 50 per cent, free travel for under-12s, and creating optional extras for holders of the AT HOP travel card, such as being able to buy an unlimited weekend travel pass.