logo
Canterbury bus fares to increase from July

Canterbury bus fares to increase from July

Canterbury bus users will face a fare hike from July.
Environment Canterbury decided to increase the standard adult fare from $2 to $3 in the Greater Christchurch area, at a meeting on Wednesday.
The council has been under pressure from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi to increase bus fares, but councillors wanted to keep bus rides affordable.
ECan chairperson Craig Pauling said he was aware the fare increase will have an impact on individuals and families who use public transport frequently.
''We know that any change to the household budget will have an impact, however after spending many hours going over the numbers, we're pleased that we can provide reliable and accessible public transport for a maximum Metrocard adult fare of $3.''
Mr Pauling said the bus fare increase was intended to coincide with the roll out of the national ticketing solution (Motu Move) in Canterbury, but this has been delayed.
While standard adult fares will increase to $3, child (5-18-years) and community service card holder fares will increase from $1 to $1.50, total mobility card holder fares from $1 to $2 and youth fares (19-24-years) to $2.50.
Tertiary student fares are being phased out, but ECan customer experience and marketing manager Thomas McNaughton said students may be eligible for a community services card.
He said ECan staff had met with the University of Canterbury Students' Association, which was keen to promote the benefits of having a community services card.
NZTA has set targets of increasing the private contribution of bus fares to 18 percent for the 2024/25 financial year, 25% for 2025/26 and 38% for 2026/27.
But ECan accepted a staff proposal in March to increase the private share to 12% this year, followed by 13% and 14% increases each year after.
The existing $2 and $1 bus fares contribute just 11.7% to the cost of fares
ECan deputy chairperson Deon Swiggs said he was ''grumpy'' about the pressure coming from central Government, but the council needed to get on with fare changes give the community more certainty.
The flat fare structure could change to a two-zone or three-zone fare structure, depending on what option is adopted in the 2025/26 annual plan.
Under the annual plan proposal, Waimakariri bus users would pay $3 to travel within the Waimakariri district and $4 to travel into Christchurch.
The third zone, if adopted, would apply in the Selwyn district.
These changes, if approved, would take effect in February.
Bus patronage has returned to pre-earthquake levels, but service capacity was still 18% below pre-earthquake levels in terms of buses and kilometres travelled.
ECan has attempted to overcome its challenges by adding electric buses to its core routes, including the Orbiter, number 3 (Airport to Sumner) and number 7 (Queenspark to Halswell) bus routes.
It is proposing to invest in the number 1 (Rangiora to Cashmere) and number 5 (Rolleston to New Brighton) bus routes, if it gets the support from NZTA.
David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Nationwide public transport card delayed again, minister 'concerned'
Nationwide public transport card delayed again, minister 'concerned'

1News

time14 hours ago

  • 1News

Nationwide public transport card delayed again, minister 'concerned'

Transport Minister Chris Bishop has urged officials to get "back on track" as fresh delays hit the roll-out of NZTA's new national public transport ticketing system. The Motu Move system was supposed to launch in Timaru and Temuka by mid-2025, but has since been delayed due to "challenges with delivery". Transport officials didn't provide an updated date for when the new card would actually launch, when queried this week. It's the third missed launch target the project has faced in the past nine months. The setback comes as an independent review has been launched into the National Ticketing Solution (NTS) by the programme's governance group. ADVERTISEMENT Bishop told 1News he met with the group to "stress" the significant sums being spent and to encourage them "to exercise leadership to get the project back on track". Chris Bishop said he wants the governance group to "exercise leadership". (file image). (Source: Getty) A spokesperson for NZTA said: "Work is underway to understand the options with a revised delivery plan for Canterbury expected to be confirmed in the next few months. "The National Ticketing Solution team is also working on a revised regional roll-out plan and timeline for the rest of the country. This is expected to be confirmed in August." The NTS project will replace all transit cards used on buses, trains and ferries around the country with a single national card, which will be branded under "Motu Move". It will include the phasing out of several existing payment methods, including Snapper in Wellington, Metrocard in Christchurch and Bee cards. The project has cost $146 million since 2018, according to figures up until December and released to the Taxpayers Union. NTS has been budgeted to cost $1.3 billion over 15 years. ADVERTISEMENT An initial December 2024 launch date in Timaru and Temuka - a smaller region with relatively limited public transport services - was pushed to early this year and then mid-2025. A January launch date for Greater Christchurch was also delayed to September. It follows a tortured multi-year process to develop the national smartcard system, which includes the ability to pay with contactless debit cards and smartphones. Kiwis will have the option of paying for public transport with their debit or credit card, or digital payment method. (Source: 1News) Bishop said he was "concerned" about the programme and "delays to rolling it out". "I have recently met with the National Ticketing Solution governance group to stress the significant investment the Government is making in the project, and to encourage them to exercise leadership to get the project back on track," he said in a statement. "The group has commissioned an independent review into the project to identify opportunities for improvement in the programme, and I expect to receive a copy of its findings in July, along with a plan to deliver the project." 'Alternative delivery approach' being considered ADVERTISEMENT In December, a "pilot" of the system was deployed on one bus line in Christchurch, which allowed people to use contactless cards to tap on if they were paying adult fares. The pilot hasn't included the wide distribution or use of Motu Move cards. An NZTA spokesperson said findings from the pilot would be used to potentially roll out "features" of the new system sooner in "phases". "The NTS programme team has been exploring alternative delivery approaches for Canterbury to implement Motu Move features in phases, building on the success of the contactless payments pilot on the route 29 bus." A Motu Move card reader. (Source: Supplied) They said the independent review of the programme was "expected to be completed with a final report presented to the NTS governance board at the end of July". The most recent delay follows a long development process for the smartcard system, which has been put together by NZTA in various forms since 2009. Subsequent developments have seen a litany of delays and posited launch dates scrapped. In March, Bishop was briefed that US system supplier Cubic was bringing in "additional capacity" to "accelerate progress" on the project after the first set of recent delays. ADVERTISEMENT Release one testing of the system was expected to be finished in early May, the Transport Minister was told at the time. Meanwhile, a review carried out on the NTS project in October found "significant issues already exist requiring management attention", according to a brief summary provided by NZTA. The agency refused to release a full copy of the report to 1News. The review came shortly before the roll-out was first delayed from its December target. It also concluded the programme was "well governed, led and resourced" and that the significant issues were "viewed as resolvable at the time of the review".

Residents risk being cut off after bridge funding dries up
Residents risk being cut off after bridge funding dries up

Otago Daily Times

time15 hours ago

  • Otago Daily Times

Residents risk being cut off after bridge funding dries up

Clarence Valley farmers have been left high and dry following a decision not to extend a funding deadline for replacing a quake-damaged bridge north of Kaikōura. NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi has informed the Kaikōura District Council it will not extend the June 30 sunset clause or offer additional funding for a replacement for the Glen Alton Bridge on Waiau Toa Clarence River, which was destroyed in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in 2016. Property owners now face an uncertain future, without year-round, all weather access to the valley. Steve and Shirley Millard have been farming in the valley for 13 years, with Mrs Millard commuting to work in Kaikōura. ''It should have been done way before now,'' Steve said. ''They said they are looking at other options, but I can't see many.'' The Clarence Valley is home to several properties, including forestry blocks, large hill country properties and Department of Conservation land. For now, access in and out is via Waipapa Road, Wharekiri Stream and a paper road through several properties. But the Wharekiri Stream is prone to flooding in heavy rain events and can be impassable for up to two weeks. Access is by four-wheel-drive only. Kaikōura District Council chief executive Will Doughty said NZTA's decision is a major setback and left the council with few options. ''The project has had a number of complex issues and stakeholder challenges that, despite best efforts, council has not been able to fully overcome.'' The NZTA board approved emergency works funding of $12.6 million from the National Land Transport Programme in 2019 to replace bridge - a 95 percent subsidy, but the project has been beset by challenges. The council initially applied to Environment Canterbury (ECan) for a resource consent to build a $13.5m bridge, 500 metres upstream from the previous bridge. But this was opposed by Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura on cultural grounds. Last year, the council asked its contractor, Contract Structures Ltd, to provide a cost estimate for building a bridge at the original site. Going to the original site will require the council to acquire land for an access road to the new bridge, a process expected to take up to 18 month. The council will leave the local share funding of around $500,000 in the 2025/26 annual plan budget while the next steps are considered, Doughty said. NZTA regional manager central and lower South Island Peter Brown said the agency advised the council in December its application for an extension would likely be declined unless it could provide evidence by 28 February the challenges it faced could be overcome. ''Despite some progress being made on key issues, there remained significant ongoing risks and a lack of a clear path forward.'' The NZTA board met last month and declined an extension and a funding increase to $16.5m. ''We understand there will be disappointment over this decision for Clarence Valley residents,'' Brown said. ''The prolonged delays and unresolved issues make continued investment in this project untenable.'' Brown said NZTA will continue to work with the council to explore what options are available. By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter ■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

Snow-hit highways in Canterbury open
Snow-hit highways in Canterbury open

Otago Daily Times

time2 days ago

  • Otago Daily Times

Snow-hit highways in Canterbury open

Two state highways affected by heavy snow in Canterbury have reopened. Check state highways here State Highway 8 between Twizel and Fairlie, and SH80 between Lake Pukaki and Aoraki/Mount Cook in the Mackenzie Country were closed at 6pm yesterday as a safety measure for motorists and crews working on the roads. More snow flurries had been forecast and this, combined with snow melt and freezing temperatures, made for extremely icy conditions, the New Zealand Transport Agency/Waka Kotahi said on Saturday. The Hermitage Hotel in Aoraki Mt Cook National Park looked like a winter wonderland, blanketed in snow. The closures were lifted 10am today, but motorists were still advised to take care when travelling. Roading crews had been busy gritting and treating areas of ice on the roads. MetService said snow flurries were possible for the Lewis Pass this afternoon and more snow was expected for Porters Pass (SH73) from 3am until about 10am on Monday. Up to 4cm may accumulate above 800 metres, with lesser amounts down to 500 metres. Other South Island highways that had been closed by snow yesterday morning were now open, but motorists were encouraged to plan ahead and check the roads before travel, the spokesman said. "Snow and ice can make travel more hazardous, and motorists should be mindful of speed, travelling distances and visibility." 🥶Winter is certainly here! It's a very cold and frosty start of the day, with Wanaka at -4℃ and Taumarunui at -3℃this morning. Here are the 7am temperatures. Please note that a temperature below 3℃means frost and a temperature below -2℃ means severe frost, so watch out for… — MetService (@MetService) June 7, 2025 Chains needed on Crown Range Road The Crown Range Road linking Queenstown and Wānaka is open following heavy snow overnight on Friday, but chains still need to be carried. MetService said snow showers were expected from 8pm today until 2am on Monday, and up to 1cm may accumulate about the summit. A spokesman for the Queenstown Lakes District Council said there were sub-zero temperatures across the district this morning and crews had applied anti-icing agent CMA has been applied to certain areas including to parts of SH6 from Frankton to Kingston and Arrow Junction, and Shotover bridge. "The roads are mostly dry across the district, however this can change around sunrise. The temperature lowers a few more degrees and could present issues for shady spots and bridge decks in particular." In Southland, another fine but frosty day was forecast for the Milford Road (SH94) area and there was ice and grit around bridges, the Milford Road Alliance advised. "Please drive with care." - ODT Online

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store