ARTA Media Release
12 December 2007

ARTA Rewards Tertiary Students’Public Transport Use

The Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) today announced it would be introducing a 40% discount on ten-trip tickets for full-time tertiary students. The discount will be implemented in time for students returning to study in February next year.

Full-time tertiary students currently receive a 20% discount. Implementation and options for purchase details will be communicated to the student population by ARTA in mid-January.

In announcing the discount, ARTA’s Chief Executive, Fergus Gammie says, “The increased discount for tertiary students takes into account a number of factors. The Universities Travel Plan, released in September this year, showed that of the 40,000 students and staff who travel into Auckland’s CBD each day of the semester, three quarters of students are using a sustainable form of transport.

“If that same number of students chose to use cars to come into the city each day, the city would be impacted even further by congestion. Auckland’s universities are showing the way in sustainable transport use. We want to reward their usage and encourage them to continue leading the way using public transport as a habit.”

Mr Gammie says the new concession rate is expected to result in an increase of up to 250,000 passenger trips in the first full year of operation and is part of ARTA’s drive to improving value for money that passenger transport offers relative to the car.

“Rail service patronage continues to grow, and ARTA’s focus next year will be on achieving growth in bus patronage through better, more targeted services and ensuring value for money from the subsidies Auckland ratepayers are paying for bus services.

“Coming up, ARTA will be reviewing its overall fare structure to make it easier, simpler and better for all Aucklanders to choose to use public transport,” says Mr Gammie.

ENDS

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