Extra Charges for Auckland Transport’s AT HOP Card Users

by Dan Hawke and Geniesa Tay. Original article published at: http://dan.kiwi/wp/?p=41

Since Auckland Transport introduced the Airbus Express AT HOP fares on 19 March 2014, 597 users of this service have reportedly been charged more than the allocated cash fare. This is a total of at least an extra $2388 than if these users had paid cash return fares instead throughout the few months since the beginning of AT HOP’s operations.

The AT HOP card advertises a minimum of 10% discount on all but the Airbus Express fares[1]. It is however not made evident to consumers that these fares do in fact cost more than ordinary cash paper tickets. The AT HOP return ticket from Auckland City to the Airport costs $32. The cash fare in this instance is valued at $28, or a $25.60 equivalent on the ten-trip pass[2]. Most other AT HOP fares are comparable to the ten-trip pass price.

This situation has affected over 25% of AT HOP Airbus users, with many of them likely to be unaware of the extra charges incurred. While Auckland Transport advertises the AT HOP service as one that provides its consumers with better or equivalent value to a cash fare, the validity of this is certainly debatable.

Customer figures were obtained using an Official Information Act request to Auckland Transport. The reply from Auckland Transport is available in full here:https://fyi.org.nz/request/1680/response/6093/attach/2/CAS%20276807%20J0H1M2%20Final.pdf

•1: https://at.govt.nz/bus-train-ferry/at-hop/fares/
•2: http://airbus.co.nz/#home_fares

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