Time to extend affordable public transport

The high uptake of free public transport by pensioners using their SuperGold cards shows that people are very willing to use public transport when it is affordable.

“To make public transport even more affordable, we need to ensure buses and trains are running full. At peak hours they are running at capacity, but off peak the services run partly empty,” said Green Party Transport Spokesperson, Jeanette Fitzsimons.

“This is the time to take up the Green Party's policy of offering $1 off-peak fares. This will provide revenue from otherwise empty seats — from those who would otherwise have taken their cars. It may also shift some passengers away from peak hour travel, making those valuable seats available for others.”

Affordable public transport will make it easier for many people to cope better with the recession, while not costing transport companies any more. The $1 off-peak fare scheme would be unlikely to require a public subsidy, Ms Fitzsimons says.

“The more people use public transport, the more congestion eases, relieving the costs on business and the wider economy from congestion.”

The Green Party will work to ensure the SuperGold card scheme is retained while advocating to extend the benefits of cheaper off-peak travel to greater numbers of people as a way of lowering our transport carbon emissions and ensuring mobility no matter how expensive petrol gets in the future.




The Green Party’s transport policy on off-peak fares is:
10.2 Require, and provide appropriate funding support for, regional councils to introduce:

•  Affordable daily, weekly and monthly tickets that are usable on all services, and offer a 50% discount for children, students and beneficiaries.
   
•  A '$1 for 2 hours go anywhere' off-peak ticket usable on all services.

10.3 Retain the SuperGold card public transport concessions for senior citizens.