The public transport changes across New Zealand are part of the Government’s new Community Connect initiative. Photo / Waikato Regional Council
The public transport changes across New Zealand are part of the Government’s new Community Connect initiative. Photo / Waikato Regional Council
The cost of bus and train fares across Waikato will change from July 1, with some passengers again paying full price as the Government’s temporary transport cost reduction package ends.
However, as the Government announced in Budget 2023, it will continue to provide major support for young public transport users. From Friday there will be free public transport for children under 13 and half-price discounts for people under 25, as well as for Community Services Card holders.
For some other public transport users, half-price fares are due to come to an end on June 30. Fares will revert to full price.
The changes to public transport services across New Zealand from July 1 are part of the Government’s new Community Connect initiative.
Waikato Regional Council and a consortium of councils in New Zealand have been working on the implementation of the initiative with their ticketing system provider and expect to be able to offer the new discounts from July 1.
You will need to have a registered Bee Card that has your new concessions loaded. Photo / Waikato Regional Council
The regional council’s public transport manager Trudi Knight said in a statement there has been an increase in region-wide bus service patronage, with numbers exceeding pre-pandemic levels. There were 834,000 boardings in the first quarter of this year compared with 790,000 for the same period in 2019.
“Community Connect will encourage increased use of public transport, which in turn will become habit-forming for younger people. It will also improve transport equity and health outcomes, and reduce congestion and greenhouse gas emissions,” Knight said.
For the new discounts to be available, people will need to have a registered Bee Card that has their new concessions loaded.
In the Waikato region, 167,900 Bee Cards have been issued, with 65 per cent of them registered.
“For those people already with a registered Bee Card, the only action might be to check their date of birth is included in their profile,” Knight said.
“We know there are others with an unregistered Bee Card, and many parents who will need to order Bee Cards for each of their children aged five and over to get the free and discounted travel when they tag on and off each trip.”
People can apply for a Bee Card and register for Community Connect concessions at busit.co.nz/beecard.
Community Connect is funded by Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency and facilitated by Waikato Regional Council, with its public transport operators: Go Bus (Hamilton routes), Tranzit (Waikato regional routes) and KiwiRail (Te Huia commuter train).
Children aged under five won’t require a Bee Card to access free travel. SuperGold Card holders will continue to travel for free on all Waikato bus and train services when the concession is loaded to their Bee Card, and Total Mobility will continue to be half-price.
An accessibility concession enabling free travel will also continue to be available for eligible people residing in the Waikato region when the concession is loaded to their Bee Card.
