City buses will be free within the city for young people (aged 18 years and under) over the upcoming school holidays.

This follows a decision by Hamilton City Council in June to make buses free for young people on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays for travel within Hamilton boundaries – a service which started in July 2019.

The one-year trial is being run jointly with Waikato Regional Council, which manages the city’s bus services.

Hamilton City Council’s Transportation Unit Manager, Jason Harrison, says: “We’re very pleased to be able to offer this free service over the holidays. Buses are a great way for young people to get where they need to go, removing barriers which can make it difficult to find and hold down a job or attend events and other activities happening around the city.”

“We have an extensive and reliable network of bus services and as a growing city, we want young Hamiltonians to become accustomed to using them from a young age.

“If you haven’t caught a bus for a while, this is a great opportunity to give it a go and become familiar with the bus routes around our city. You might be surprised by how easy and enjoyable it is!

“We’ve also seen a huge number of young Hamiltonians show their support for climate change in recent months. Using public transport, like buses is a key way we can all make a positive impact on our environment.”

Andrew Wilson, Waikato Regional Council’s Public Transport Manager, says: “Youth passenger numbers on weekends have doubled since introducing the free weekend travel in July.”

“The uptake has been great so far and we’re thankful for Hamilton City Council’s support to extend this free youth travel to the September school holidays.”

Free youth travel is available on any bus within the Hamilton City boundary from Saturday 28 September until Sunday 13 October.

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