ARC should decide on free pensioner travel - Joyce

Transport Minister Steven Joyce says it is up to the Auckland Regional Council, not the Government, to decide whether it wants to keep paying for free afternoon peak travel for pensioners on public transport.

The Auckland Regional Council's transport committee has decided to support existing arrangements, even though the SuperGold Card scheme covers only off-peak trips.

A Transport Agency discussion paper on a review of the scheme, for which submissions close on April 26, reports complaints from pensioners elsewhere that their travel benefits are not as generous as those received by seniors in Auckland.

Mr Joyce told the Herald that he regarded Auckland's afternoon peak travel arrangements as being outside the national scheme, and it was up to the regional council to decide whether it wanted to keep paying for those.

The Transport Agency shares half the cost of the Auckland top-up, and the minister indicated that was a standard rate for all public transport operations.