Auckland Transport has confirmed - through a previously confidential paper issued to the Herald - intending to axe most discount fares during the Hop rollout to buses, which it expects to complete by the end of the year.
"While a significant communications campaign will be undertaken, some of these changes may attract some criticism initially as AT transitions to the integrated ticketing simpler product suite," the paper warned the council agency's board in March.
The agency has begun introducing a three-tiered monthly pass system common to all bus and rail operators, costing $140, $190 or $250 depending on distance travelled. These will be the only alternatives to single-trip fares. Although adults now travelling from the upper North Shore on seven-day Northern Pass tickets could save $16 by swapping to $190 monthly passes, those from south of Constellation Drive face a $28 rise.
Students and the disabled face steeper rises, of $58 a month from north of Constellation Drive and $90 from the lower North Shore.
Urban Express bus passengers have already been hit with a 90 per cent monthly fare increase for travel between Green Bay and Onehunga, and Auckland Transport has quietly raised single-zone rail passes by 16.7 per cent.
One woman who works in the CBD, who asked not to be named, said the fare increase would drive her to add to the congestion and drive in. She mostly buys a seven-day pass from the lower North Shore to Britomart, meaning she could see a $28 rise for a $190 monthly pass.
"It's just too expensive - for that much a month I could drive in and pay for parking with change left over. That rise will just make more people use their cars and add to the traffic and pollution problems."
University of Auckland student Man Jun pays $33 for a student weekly pass between upper North Shore and the CBD. He believes that is already "expensive enough".
Despite the March report's promise to raise public awareness before axing discount tickets, it took an industry source to alert the Herald to the plan. He expects the Northern Pass to be gone by late September, when busway operator Ritchies becomes the last of the three Northern Pass companies to join Hop, after Birkenhead Transport and NZ Bus subsidiary North Star.
The source, who became alarmed about the changes while working on the rollout, fears a serious dent in patronage under an integrated ticketing scheme which was supposed to attract more Aucklanders to public transport.
Auckland Transport chairman Lester Levy repeated the promise of a sweeping review of all public transport fares to ensure "attractive and affordable pricing" to entice more people from their cars.
His organisation has meanwhile failed to respond to Herald requests for more information, including the number of passengers travelling on discount passes.
- additional reporting Amelia Wade
