On Thursday the 17th of March, members of the Free Fares campaign in Wellington handed in a petition of over 13,000 signatures to Minister of Transport Michael Wood calling for free public transport for tertiary students, Community Services Card holders and under-25s. This came after the Government’s announcement of a three month discount in public transport as a response to the rising cost of fuel.

“We want to acknowledge the Minister’s efforts in funding half price public transport for three months and initiating the Community Connect Pilot in Auckland, but there is still more to do,” says Elizabeth Hodgson, MAWSA Vice-President.

During the handover, the crowd heard from various people who would be significantly affected by the implementation of a Free Fares policy.

Lily from Mana College said that “everyone is aware of how climate change is affecting our world, but it's an even more pressing matter for [us], as we will be fighting against it and experiencing [the] effects for the duration of our lifetimes.”

Lily’s schoolmate Jack also agrees. “If we want to be a sustainable, green country, helping people who aren’t cashed up such as under 25s who have less financial freedom is 100% necessary. Free Fares is a really great start.”

“We are very climate aware and want to pursue greener methods of living. Free fares would allow us to do that with transport without much of a barrier. Then we are contributing to a sustainable future for ourselves and generations to follow.”

“This would help massively to normalise transport habits for the next generation, which would stop people from buying cars as they come into adulthood as there is no need. Thus, leaving us as a country where transport has much less of an impact on our emissions. This would be huge, as we as a country have some of the highest vehicle ownership rates around the globe.”

Kushboo Singh, from MAWSA, also raised her concerns about the current cost of public transport and the effect it has on students who study at universities like Massey. “Due to the cost of public transport, I have to limit my time at uni to two or three days. This is the case for many students in the wider Wellington region. We are in a cost of living crisis and every cent matters.”

The Collective’s friends at CCS Disability Action were also present at the handover. “We see free fares as a great way for people to rebuild connections with their communities and in their lives, and as an investment for [the] government to build back public transport so it becomes the first choice for everyone,” said Raewyn Hailes.

Backing the cause, Green MP and Transport Spokesperson Ricardo Menéndez-March said that “what is really clear is that if we want to address the inequality crisis, free fares is going to be a key component of that. Equally, if we are serious about addressing the climate crisis we need to give people the ability to move about their community without relying on cars, and free fares is key to that too.”

Minister Wood was accepting of the petition, and the campaign is positive their message was heard by the Minister.

“Making sure that our public transport system is more accessible for everyone is really important. This is a huge priority for me as a Minister, and for our Government,” he said.

“I am continuing to work with the Minister of Finance on what we get through in the budget this year. Working on public transport is a big part of that.”

The Collective looks forward to working with the Minister in the future on this cause, and are excited to see the outcomes of Budget 2022.

Together, we can make change. 

Manaaki whenua. Manaaki tangata. Haere whakamua.

Care for the land. Care for the people. Go forward.

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