Young commuters in Auckland will soon have lower public transport fares, Auckland Mayor Phil Goff promised today.
The policy will see a further reduction in child bus, train and ferry fares, making it half the cost of an adult fare. It will begin during Auckland Council's next term, said the mayor, who is up for re-eection.
"Reducing child fares is the best way to make public transport more affordable for young people all across Auckland," Mr Goff said in a statement.
"The more we make public transport affordable for children and their families, the more they will use it."
Children travelling to school across two zones per year will save $114, with the amount saved increasing to $171 across over three zones.
"The savings will be more if they use public transport at other times too. This is really going to help families, particularly where there is more than one child in the family," he said.
The new policy is expected to increase the use of public transport by around 255,000 trips per year. The initiative will work in conjunction with fare-free weekends for under-16-year-olds and the increased affordability of public transport for commuters with a Community Services Card.
"This is another step forward that we are taking in making public transport more accessible and cheaper," Mr Goff said. "That is all part of being an international city that caters to an ever-growing population."
The policy will cost $4.13 million annually in increased operation expense and lost revenue.
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