Fares Go up But Still Cheaper Than Chips

Bus And Train Fares Go up But Still Cheaper Than Chips

Effective from today, ticket prices for Auckland's bus, train and some ferry services are at least 10 cents more a journey. However one Auckland business association says the nominal price rises reinforce just how cost effective public transport remains.

"Thousands of Monday morning commuters will notice that the fares have gone up - but only just. No one can complain. The old saying 'as cheap as chips' doesn't even apply to public transport in Auckland because a single-stage ride on an Auckland bus or train is actually cheaper than even the smallest packet of chips," says Cameron Brewer, chief executive of the Newmarket Business Association.

From today, a single-stage ride on an Auckland bus goes up from $1.60 to $1.70 and on a train from $1.40 to $1.50.

"Catching the train from Britomart to Newmarket now costs a paltry $1.50, while catching the Link Bus now costs $1.70. It's amazing when you think these days you can't even buy a little bar of chocolate or a can of drink for that, let alone a litre of petrol. Yet for a $1.70 you can circumnavigate Auckland's central suburbs on a state-of-the-art Link Bus.

"Any commuter who raises their eyebrows about this nominal price rise needs to remember just how much the taxpayer subsidises public transport. Auckland rail passengers receive a public subsidy of about $8 a trip.

"Providing public transport in Auckland is an expensive exercise when you consider we're one of the world's most thinly spread urban areas. The latest increase in ticket prices will only recover a fraction of the actual cost. While some people may complain about Auckland's public transport, one thing you can't complain about is the price. What’s more these fare increases have been a long time coming, with prices not going up since 2007.

"It's bizarre that a price rise can actually be used to remind people just how cheap something is. We're keen as a business community and public transport hub to use these latest fare increases to remind people that catching a train or bus remains the cheapest mode of transport by far," says Cameron Brewer.

For further information on fares visit www.maxx.co.nz

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