Seamless public transport ticketing gets first outing on buses in March

Photo / APN

Aucklanders can expect an early version by March of what will ultimately become a seamless ticket for all modes of public transport.

NZ Bus, which operates about 75 per cent of Auckland public bus services, will introduce the ticket for its fleet of more than 600 buses with the aim of completing the task in time for the September kickoff of the Rugby World Cup.

Stations and the Downtown and Devonport ferry terminals will also be equipped with "integrated ticketing" swipe points in time for the rugby tournament.

That follows an agreement in which NZ Bus and its sister company in the Infratil stable, Snapper Services, have been allowed on board an $87 million integrated ticketing contract signed last year with French electronic giant Thales.

The agreement was announced yesterday by Auckland Transport and the NZ Transport Agency, which is paying $56 million towards the contract - covering 10 years of operations as well as capital spending.

It is accepting the lion's share of the contract in anticipation of developing the ticketing system as a platform for schemes in other regions.

That has left Auckland ratepayers contributing $31 million to the contract plus $11 million on work which Thales expects to start next month to provide cabling to about 40 railway stations and ultimately 11 ferry terminals.

Although NZ Bus is the only bus operator to have joined the scheme, Auckland Transport chief executive David Warburton said his organisation was at various stages of negotiations with others.

Bus operators Ritchies Transport and Howick and Eastern said they were still investigating various options for joining the scheme, and were unlikely to sign up in time for the rugby cup.

Ritchies director Andrew Ritchie said the ticketing machines on his 200 or so Auckland buses were relatively new, and he saw no urgency to join the scheme until restructured fares become available as a sequel to the ticketing project.

Although passengers will need only one electronic smartcard to travel on trains, ferries and NZ Bus vehicles from September, different fare amounts will be deducted from their accounts each time they "swipe on" to the various transport modes.

Auckland Transport ticketing programme director Greg Innes acknowledged it was unlikely single fares for the various modes would be available to commuters before 2013, although "integrated" fares would be offered for limited periods to rugby cup visitors.

It was also possible airport buses might be brought into the ticketing scheme in time for the rugby, although the Airbus Express company could not be reached for comment.

NZ Bus chief Bruce Emson said the "swipe on-swipe off" smartcard would speed up boarding times, creating "a concertina effect right through the journey - just one of the small steps in terms of creating greater reliability" for his 130,000 daily Auckland customers.