Single ticket the future of Metlink travel

AT HOP: Commuters top up their 'HOP cards' electronically in Auckland. PHOTO/FILE

Electronic tickets will be the future of Metlink public transport according to the Greater Wellington Regional Council's 10 Year Plan.

A new integrated ticketing system will be introduced from 2017 to 2018, which will enable commuters to use just one ticket on all Metlink public transport including the Wairarapa Line.

Greater Wellington Regional Councillor and Public Transport Portfolio Leader Paul Swain says the project is still in early development stages.

"We're in the very early stages but certainly are planning to have an integrated ticketing system - where you use just one electronic payment method for all your public transport travel - up and running from around 2018," he said.

"We're currently developing a business case that will assess the viability of the project and outline a preferred option.

"The business case will need to go to the Regional Council and the NZ Transport Agency for consideration later this year."

"If and when that's approved, we'll call for tenders for the development of an integrated fares and ticketing system."

Mr Swain says that the technical side of the integrated ticketing and fares system is undecided.

"We don't know exactly how the system will work or what the smart card will be," he said.

"It could be a smart card, or mobile phone, or it could be a credit card. We're still in the early stages so the actual technology is subject to change.

"The important aspect of our project is to achieve both integrated ticketing and integrated fares.

"Some public transport operators have their own payment card systems in Wellington, but they do not currently cross all modes."

Mr Swain says that gates with electronic readers would likely be needed at Wellington Rail Station but it is possible that only smart card readers would be needed at stations like those on the Wairarapa Line.

"There would still be paper tickets when the system beds in, and the electronic system would be brought in over the transitioning period - which we're not sure yet how long that will be.

"The ultimate end point is integrated fares and ticketing across all modes of public transport including no cash fares or paper tickets on trains."

It is a possibility that the duty of train ticketing staff would transition to more of a monitoring role but this is yet to be confirmed.

"There would be a different approach to revenue protection," Mr Swain said.