Since launching the $50 public transport cap 12 weeks ago, over 20,000 Aucklanders have hit their cap and seen savings.
Rolled out to encourage more residents to jump aboard public transport, the fare cap means that travel on AT buses, trains and inner harbour ferries is capped at $50 over seven days.
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“It’s great to see that over 20,000 people have already reached the cap, saving them money on their public transport journeys,” mayor Wayne Brown says.
“This is a great example of how things should work, with council setting strategy and direction and AT implementing it.”
Public transport customers do not need to do anything to start receiving the seven-day cap beyond tagging on and off with their AT HOP card as usual. They will know they have reached the cap when they see a $0.00 fare on the HOP card reader.
Franklin Ward councillor Andy Baker says the fare cap is a “game-changer”.
“The feedback I’m hearing is that some people are saving upwards of $20 per week. The price certainty makes taking public transport more attractive and budgeting easier, which is welcome in a cost-of-living crisis,” Baker says.
The initiative is part of a wider plan to encourage more public transport patronage across the services, with increased service frequency and new payment methods rolling out.
“This builds on work we are doing across the board to encourage Aucklanders to mix their go and get on board public transport,” Auckland Transport director of public transport and active modes Stacey van der Putten says.
“We now have 40 frequent bus routes compared to just nine in 2016, more electric buses than any city in Australasia, ferries are returning to their full timetables, and we’ve fitted 75 intersections with bus booster technology.
“And these changes are making a difference, there’s been a 22% increase in public transport trips compared to last year.”
“Contactless payments are coming later this year, City Rail Link is on the way, the Eastern Busway is moving forward, and we have four world-leading electric ferries being built.”
The fare cap period runs for a week, expiring at 11:59 pm seven consecutive days after the initial HOP card tag on.
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