Public meetings on proposed transport fare changes begin next week

Greater Wellington Regional Council is about to hold eight public meetings throughout the region over the proposed changes to public transport fares.

Beginning next Wednesday in Upper Hutt, the public will be able to talk through the proposal with local councillors and public transport officers.

Chair of the Sustainable Transport Committee Cr Barbara Donaldson says the Council is almost at the halfway mark for the consultation and submissions are steadily rolling in. 

"We're two weeks in and already the Council has received 120 submissions from the public. Over the next couple of weeks public meetings will be held in Wellington, Hutt Valley, Porirua, Wairarapa and Kapiti. This is a good chance for people to talk to us about the recommendations and feel more informed about the proposals so they can give us their feedback."

The proposed fare discounts mean that bus and train customers travelling at off-peak times will receive a 25 per cent discount, while the blind, disabled and full-time tertiary students will get an all-day 25 per cent discount. A 50 per cent discount will be extended to all schoolchildren, reducing fares for school children travelling shorter distances (1 to 5 zones).  

Free bus transfers are also proposed because more passengers will need to switch buses as part of a forthcoming redesign of Wellington city's bus network. 

To help fund these changes Greater Wellington is proposing an overall 3% rise in fares.

Other proposals include:

- offering more free bus connections to trains

- replacing six day passes with a single pass that is zone-based and valid region-wide

- bringing ferry fares more into line with bus and train fares

- ending school term and 30-day passes, relying on Snapper and free transfers on bus and rail monthly passes and 10-trip tickets

- making a boundary change to enable people in Titahi Bay and Porirua East to travel within their suburb and also to reach Porirua’s CBD without crossing into another zone

- extending the 25 per cent charge for cash to zone 1 to encourage more electronic payments

- amending rail tickets offered on event days.

It is planned these proposals will be implemented in mid-2018 with the new bus contracts and new Wellington city bus network.

Details for the upcoming public meetings are below:

Upper Hutt Wednesday 30 August 6:45PM

Wallaceville House, 2 Wallaceville, Road, Upper Hutt

Wellington - North/West Thursday 31 August 7:00PM

Johnsonville Community Centre, 3 Frankmoore Ave, Johnsonville

Kapiti Monday 4 September 7:00PM

Te Newhanga Kapiti Community Centre, 15 Ngahina Street, Paraparaumu

Wellington - South/East Tuesday 5 September 6:30PM

Brentwood Hotel, 16 Kemp Street, Kilbirnie

Lower Hutt Wednesday 6 September 6:30PM

St Mark’s Church, 58 Woburn Road, Lower Hutt

Porirua Thursday 7 September 6:45PM

Pataka Art + Museum, 17 Parumoana St, Porirua

Wairarapa Monday 11 September 7.30PM

Carterton Events Centre, 50 Holloway Street, Carterton

Wellington Central Tuesday 12 September 12:00PM

St Andrews on the Terrace, 30 The Terrace, Wellington CBD