A review has found the cost of buses after midnight in Wellington is a "major barrier" to people using them.
Greater Wellington Regional Council is proposing to slash these fares as part of its commitment to the Pōneke Promise, which is a social contract in response to safety concerns in the central city.
While the cost of buses in the early hours of Saturday and Sunday mornings is set to go down, councillors are also considering a proposal to increase fares by 3 per cent across the board from July.
They will vote on both issues at a full council meeting on Thursday.
After-midnight buses have been in operation for 20 years connecting those enjoying the city's nightlife at the weekend back to the suburbs as well as to the Hutt Valley, Porirua and Plimmerton.
The fares for these services are fixed - $7 for up to three zones of travel and $14 for a single trip of four zones or more.
However, not many people are actually using the buses. Prior to Covid-19 patronage accounted for less than 0.1 per cent of all bus trips, a declining trend only made worse by the virus.
Greater Wellington Regional Council chairman Daran Ponter said he wanted Wellington to be seen as a 24-hour city.
"We want to celebrate the fact Wellington has good nightlife, good restaurants, and attract people into the city using public transport.
"What we are looking to do is deliver safe and efficient means for people to travel to and from the city in the early hours."
A proposal to increase public transport fares across the board by 3 per cent is also on the table. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Ponter said there shouldn't be a distinction in price depending on whether people got the bus home at 11pm or 1am.
"People should have a seamless understanding that whenever they get on a bus, within reason, they're going to be paying the same fare."
The after midnight buses are marked with an "N" followed by a number. For example, n N2 night bus would travel more or less the same route as the Number 2 bus does during the day- out to the eastern suburbs.
The review by Metlink, the Wellington region's public transport network, included engaging with hospitality industry and social providers, and with people out on Friday and Saturday evenings.
"The current higher fares have been identified as a major barrier to using the after midnight buses, along with the need to improve awareness of the service and making routes and numbering easy to understand", a regional council report said.
The review recommended replacing current fixed fares with standard fares, while further improvements included increased frequency and marketing of the services.
These changes could increase demand for the after-midnight buses by as much as 50 per cent, or about 7000 trips.
Meanwhile, the council is also considering increasing public transport fares in general by 3 per cent.
The same council report said it was preferable for regular fare increases in line with inflation, but not more than 3 per cent, rather than infrequent and substantial adjustments.
Greater Wellington Regional Council chairman Daran Ponter. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The report noted the fare increase was below actual inflation, 5.9 per cent, so any impact on affordability would still be lower than the relative increase in other living costs.
It said whether or not fares were adjusted, the increase in petrol price combined with high inflation would likely encourage a potential mode shift to public transport anyway.
Ponter said the price of diesel had "gone through the roof" and until the fleet is fully electrified, that's the fuel the majority of buses run on.
"So our costs are certainly escalating beyond 3 per cent."
He said a wider review of the fare structure was in play, but not in time for this year's annual plan.
This review would consider things like how many zones there are, whether people pay on a zone, time, or distance basis, and no more penalties on a fully integrated ticketing system.
