The city of Auckland, New Zealand has introduced a NZ$50 (~US$30) weekly fare cap across its public transport network. The fare cap applies to bus, train, selected inner-harbor ferry services, and the Te Huia train between Hamilton and Auckland.
“The seven-day fare cap gives Aucklanders price certainty, allowing them to budget more easily by knowing they won’t pay more than NZ$50 a week,” said Auckland Mayor, Wayne Brown. “It’s about getting back to basics and making better use of what we have – the things we can do now to make a difference for Aucklanders.”
Users must have a valid AT HOP card and tag on and off for every trip. The system will automatically apply the fare cap once the user has spent $50 within a 7-day period. The 7-day fare cap starts automatically from the first time a user tags on and off from an eligible service. This weekly cap replaces the city’s NZ$20 daily fare cap and the NZ$230 bus and train monthly pass.
Auckland Transport expects that the approximately 8% of the city’s population of 450,000 using public transport monthly will benefit from the cap.
“It’s a great opportunity for people to try public transport for more trips. For example, someone who takes the bus to the city during the week might now decide to take the train or one of our inner harbor ferries to go shopping or meet up with friends on the weekend,” Auckland Transport’s Director of Public Transport and Active Modes, Stacey van der Putten, said.