Cheat Sheet: What changes to the public transport ticket system mean for you

Friday, 21 October 2022

It is almost a year since former transport minister Michael Wood announced major changes to the way people will pay for public transport.

Major changes are coming to the way Kiwis pay for public transport, doing away with the need for different travel cards in different regions. Here’s what you need to know.

Read this story in te reo Māori and English here. / Pānuitia tēnei i te reo Māori me te reo Pākehā ki konei.

What the changes mean

Existing transport payment cards – such as Snapper, AT Hop and the Bee card – will be phased out and replaced with the new solution, which will include a national card. The system will cover 13 regions across Aotearoa and enable seamless travel on bus, rail and ferry services.

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A new ticketing solution will phase out regional transport cards and introduce a nationwide payment system that will let passengers pay with credit cards and phones. (File photo)

How you’ll be able to pay

You’ll be able to pay with the new national transit card, as well as Apple Pay or Google Pay, contactless debit or credit card.

Which regions are taking part

The participating areas are Auckland, greater Wellington, Canterbury, Northland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Gisborne, Manawatū-Whanganui, Hawke’s Bay, Nelson, Otago and Invercargill.

Auckland train passengers swipe on to Auckland’s Hop system. The National Ticketing Solution will cover journeys on buses, trains and ferries.

When the new system will be in place

The new system will be rolled out across the country in stages, starting with Canterbury in 2024. Which regions will follow is yet to be confirmed. Regional transport authorities will either end or exit the existing contracts with their ticketing system providers.

How much will the deal cost?

The initial cost of the system is $27m. However, across 15 years, the roll-out and operating costs it will come to $1.3b. Some of these costs will be offset by discontinuing the different systems in use around the country.

Why are the changes being brought in?

Transport Minister Michael Wood said the new system is being brought in to encourage public transport as the preferred travel choice for “more people, more often”. He said the new technology would mean when travelling to a new town, people could “pay using what’s already in their pocket, rather than having to buy a transit card specific to that region or fumble for cash”.

Wood said that improved access to and use of public transport will mean less road congestion and fewer emissions.

Who is behind the new system?

A US transport systems company, Cubic, is working with Waka Kotahi to implement the new payment system. Cubic says the NZ solution is similar to systems it has deployed in New York, London and Brisbane.

How will it work?

It’s an account-based system, which means it will handle “open loop” payments so that passengers pay the correct fare even when using multiple forms of transport for their journey.