The Green Party will continue to prioritise affordable public transport for everyone.

“The very least the Government should do is make public transport fares half price, for everyone, for good,” says the Green Party spokesperson for transport, Julie Anne Genter.

“Affordable public transport is fundamental to our quality of life, for cutting climate pollution, connecting our communities, and making our cities more liveable.

“The Government has shown how easy it is to extend half price public transport fares. There is no reason why affordable fares cannot be made permanent.

“Ending half price fares is a political choice - and it goes against what most New Zealanders want.

“Recent polling shows that 79 percent of people think public transport should remain half price permanently, and 66 percent of people think public transport should be completely free.

“Based on the cost of the policy so far, it wouldn’t cost very much to make public transport permanently half price - and the benefits to people will be huge.

“Permanent half price public transport fares is one of tools we should be using to transition to a low carbon future in a way that also helps to fix transport poverty and patterns of inequality that force people into relying on expensive personal cars.

“The Green Party has long campaigned to make public transport affordable for everyone - and for much greater investment in clean, electric buses, trains and ferries.

“With more Green MPs we can build a future where vehicles are powered by electricity; towns and cities connected by affordable public transport; and there are safe options to walk and cycle,” says Julie Anne Genter.

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