Latest news with #MotuMove
1News
10 hours ago
- Business
- 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".
Otago Daily Times
30-04-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
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.
RNZ News
30-04-2025
- RNZ News
Canterbury bus fares to increase from July
Environment Canterbury will increase its standard adult fare from $2 to $3 in July. Photo: LDR / David Hill / North Canterbury News Canterbury's bus commuters face a fare hike from July, the regional council has confirmed. Environment Canterbury (ECan) 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." 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 were 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 percent for 2025/26 and 38 percent for 2026/27. But ECan accepted a staff proposal in March to increase the private share to 12 percent this year, followed by 13 percent and 14 percent increases each year after. The existing $2 and $1 bus fares contribute just 11.7 percent 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 percent 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. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Canterbury Bus Fares To Increase From July
Article – David Hill – Local Democracy Reporter Greater Christchurch bus fares will increase in July, with the standard adult fare increasing from $2 to $3. Canterbury's bus commuters face a fare hike from July, the regional council has confirmed. Environment Canterbury decided to increase the standard adult fare from $2 to $3 in the Greater Christchurch area, at a meeting on Wednesday [April 30]. 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.
Scoop
30-04-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Canterbury Bus Fares To Increase From July
Canterbury's bus commuters face a fare hike from July, the regional council has confirmed. Environment Canterbury decided to increase the standard adult fare from $2 to $3 in the Greater Christchurch area, at a meeting on Wednesday [April 30]. 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.
