Fare increase not needed now - thanks to growth in rail use

Favourable financial results over the last six months have avoided the need for a planned public transport fare increase, says Paul Swain, Greater Wellington Regional Council’s Public Transport portfolio leader.

The Council, meeting today to hear and deliberate on submissions on its draft Annual Plan for 2014/15, has decided not to increase public transport fares.

Mr Swain says the Council’s draft Annual Plan proposed some fare increases to cover increased costs. Due to favourable financial results since Christmas, mainly due to reduced train running costs and better than expected passenger numbers, we won’t need to increase fares after all.”

The Council reviews public transport fares every year and has a policy of small, annual fare increases rather than very occasional large increases.

“The Regional Council has invested heavily in rail over the last few years. We expected that rail patronage would grow as a result. The Wellington public has shown their faith in public transport and as a result the Council is able to return a dividend to them by not raising fares this year.”

Bus patronage has also increased but the Regional Council doesn’t get any financial benefit from that.

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