Bus & train fares increase 1 November 2011

Many Wellington bus and train fares will increase from 1 November 2011 to meet increasing public transport costs.

The increase was due to take effect from 1 September but was postponed because negotiations with some operators took longer than expected.

Peter Glensor, Chair of Greater Wellington’s Economic Wellbeing Committee which oversees public transport, says the focus of this year’s fare increase is on multi-trip or stored value card (e.g. Snapper) fares. Approximately two thirds of all public transport trips are made with multi-trip tickets or cards. “These fares will increase generally by about five percent, which will give us an overall increase in revenue of about three percent. This will allow us to keep rates down.”

He said the Council decided a few years ago to try and increase different fares in different years to ensure the impact of fare increases was as fair as possible. “Last year, the fares for single cash trips and trips for more than 11 zones increased. Fares also increased to reflect the new GST rate. This year we’re increasing multi-trip fares.”

Historic Johnsonville train fare anomalies will also be removed from 1 November. “This brings Johnsonville fares into line with all other standard three zone fares. It also reflects the investment that has been made in the line in recent years.”

Special stadium train fares will increase by $2 per round trip for adults and $1 for children.

Cr Glensor said the minimum fare on the Wairarapa train for journeys from Upper Hutt, Waterloo and Petone to Wellington has been removed permanently. “It was removed temporarily earlier this year when we were experiencing serious overcrowding problems on the Hutt Valley Line. Clearly the change was well received and does not seem to have caused any problems for Wairarapa passengers so the minimum fare will not be reinstated on these trips.” The .Wairarapa train minimum fare remains in place for all journeys from Wellington to the Hutt Valley.

He said fare increases were needed to meet ongoing and increasing costs of Wellington’s public transport network. “We know, and have had this reiterated to us earlier this year through submissions on the annual plan, that one of the things people in the Wellington region want most of all is a high quality, modern and convenient public transport network. As a Council we are absolutely committed to providing this but for a relatively small population such as Wellington’s the costs are huge. We try, through regular fare increases, to share these costs as fairly as possible.”

He said the fare increase was also in line with the Council’s farebox recovery policy which aims to ensure that about half of the costs of public transport are met through fares. Ratepayers and taxpayers pay for the other half.

For more information about the fare changes people can pick up a copy of the new Metlink Fares and Tickets brochure, available from Metlink stockists from Monday 17 October.

Fare increase: questions & answers

When are the fares going up?
Tuesday 1 November 2011.

 Why are fares going up?
To meet the increasing costs of providing public transport.  The costs of providing public transport services have been going up by about 3% every year.  These costs are shared by ratepayers, central government and passengers.  Council’s policy is that passenger fares should make up between 50 – 55% of the costs.  An increase of about 3% in fares is required to keep this balance.

How much are fares going up by?
The average increase is 3% but not all fares are increasing.  Most (but not all) cash fares are not changing.  Most (but not all) multi-trip ticket prices are going up by about 5%.

 Why isn’t the fare increase an across-the-board percentage increase?
Cash fares increased in 2010, so this year it is the turn of multi-trip tickets to increase.

It’s not possible to increase all fares by the same across-the-board percentage figure.  This is because Greater Wellington’s policy is that cash fares must be rounded to the nearest 50c to make cash handling easy for passengers, train guards and bus drivers.  It also speeds up bus boarding times.  An increase of 3%, for example, on a $3 bus fare would amount to $3.09, which does not meet current cash-handling requirements and our policy.

 Why are multi-trip fares going up and not cash fares?
At the 2010 increase, it was the cash fares that were increased, and the multi-trip fares did not increase.  This year the opposite is happening, so that the impact of fare increases is shared as evenly as possible.

 Why are some of the Johnsonville fares being deleted?
Three of the fares that applied only on the Johnsonville rail line have been removed.  These are the Peace Train monthly, the 3 zone monthly and the school term pass. Removing them helps make the overall fare structure easier to understand. Johnsonville Line monthly and term passes will still be available, but they will be at the same price as on the other rail lines.  This will result in a small price increase.

 Why are some fares going up by more than 5%?
Rounding and the need to maintain relativity between fares has meant that some multi-trip fares are increasing by slightly more than 5%.  But most multi-trip fares are increasing by 5%

Some of the special fares are increasing by more than 5%.  For example the special rail tickets to special events at the Westpac Stadium are increasing by $1 per trip for adults and $0.50 for children.  These fares have been low compared to the standard fare on the line. 

Other special fares such as the Day Rover, Weekend Rover and Group Rover tickets, and the after-midnight fares, are not increasing.

Fares increased last year for all 10-14 zone trips (affecting mostly users of the Wairarapa train), so why are those fares increasing again this year?
Yes, cash and multi-trip tickets for 10-14 zone trips went up last year, and are going up again this year. For many years fares for zone 10-14 trips have been lower on a per-kilometre basis than all other fares.  This anomaly has now been corrected.

What about free Super Gold card travel?
Super Gold card holders will continue to travel free on public transport during off-peak times.

When will the new prices for monthly and school term passes take effect?
The fare increases will take effect from 1 November  2011.  All fare products that are valid for first use before 1 November will be sold at the old price (including Runciman Commuter monthly and all school term passes that are also valid for travel after 1 November). 

Passes valid for first use on or after 1 November but bought before that date, will be sold at the new price. This means that, for example, monthly passes for November will be sold at the new price.

Cash and ten-trip tickets sold in October at the old price can be used after 1 November.

All tickets and passes bought from 1 September will be sold at the new price.

Is a fare increase going to be a regular yearly event?
Yes, fares will be reviewed every year.  Given that costs of public transport, like all other costs, seem to increase every yeear, then it is likely that fare increases will become an annual occurrence.