Wellington bus and train use drops as fares to rise again
Saturday, 28 February 2026
Just five months on from Wellington’s head of buses trumpeting patronage being at record highs, public transport use is falling as another fare hike is confirmed.
Metlink has announced that, from May 15, public transport fares will increase by 3.1%. It is less than a year from a July 2.2% increase which also saw a drop in the off-peak discount from 50 to 30%. That 30% discount will now drop to 20%.
But for those hoping to increase public transport use, it is another set of numbers causing concern. Bus patronage, which had been hailed as a resounding post-Covid bounce-back success, has now dropped by 1.4% in the six months to December compared to the same time last year. Train patronage, already struggling post-Covid, is down by 6%.
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For buses, it is a reversal from September, when then-Greater Wellington Regional Council transport committee head Thomas Nash acknowledged that more work was needed, especially on trains but “bus patronage is now at record highs”.
The council’s public transport committee deputy chairperson, Tom James, on Friday said Wellingtonians were being “hit in the back pocket because the Government is forcing the regional council to raise fares”.
The Government move stemmed from the 2024 land transport policy, which aimed to increase the share of public transport costs paid by users. Councils and central government, covered the rest.
The policy statement said the amount passengers paid for public transport at the fare box nationwide had dropped from 40% to 10% in the seven years to 2023 and increasing this “will be expected from local government”.
James called on Transport Minister Chris Bishop to tell NZTA to drop the “self-defeating” policy.
“Since the last fare increase, both bus and rail ridership has dropped,” James said. “Raising fares doesn't raise revenue, it pushes people back into their cars and makes congestion worse.'
Regional council chairperson Daran Ponter said last April that the Government wanted 42% of public transport costs covered by fares by 2026-27 year so the regional council set a 23.5% goal last year rising to 25.7% next year.
Public Transport Committee chairperson Ros Connelly backed her deputy’s call for a Government policy reversal saying the 23.5% fare-box target was already close to Wellington’s current performance.
There were other reasons for the drop in patronage, such as Wellington’s job cuts, she said.
Connelly said the decision to raise fares was a difficult call. “We have to balance fiscal responsibility and funding constraints with what people can reasonably afford.”
Metlink strategy and investments senior manager Tim Shackleton said there was $3 million projected revenue shortfall for the current financial year.
“Our operating costs continue to grow, and patronage, particularly on rail, remains a challenge. This means the gap is growing between revenue we earn from fares and the cost to operate public transport services across the region,” Shackleton said.
David Shepherd from NZTA said the government policy reflected rising public transport costs and reducing the burden on ratepayers and taxpayers. He said Wellington received more funding than in the previous period.
The next government policy statement on public transport was being developed and future funding, including for public transport, would be in the 2027-30 National Land Transport Programme.
Bishop’s office was approached for comment.