Prices will increase across Northland’s public transport network from Friday 01 August with authorities saying they have been left with little choice in the matter.

Northland Regional Council member Joe Carr, who chairs the Northland Regional Transport Committee, says fares on Whangārei’s CityLink service will revert to their 2018 level of $3 for adults and $2 for children, an increase of $1 per journey on the present fares.

Fares on the rural BusLink services will rise by 50 cents per journey from Friday 01 August.

Infants up to four years of age will continue to travel free of charge. Concessions for Community Service Card and Gold Card holders remain in place for CityLink and BusLink routes.

From 01 August these concessions will also apply for the first time to BusLink’s Bream Bay Link and Hikurangi Link, which had not previously been able to offer these discounts.

"Council recognises that cost of living pressures are impacting on Northlanders and has for many years made every effort to keep bus fares as low as possible," Chair Carr says.

However, he says the council - which administers the services - had been left with very little option, but to review fares.

"Regional councils nationwide are having to find additional forms of funding to cover bus operational, infrastructure and administration costs in keeping with the Government Policy on Land Transport 2024.".

During Covid and to assist with the cost-of-living crisis, the government had funded several fare reduction schemes across the country, but this funding had ceased in 2023.

Chair Carr says even with the increased fares, Northland’s charges are still largely in line with other parts of New Zealand.

He says over the past two years CityLink has also made several improvements to the service, including the introduction of the SchoolLink service and extension to Route 3, an online bus tracking system, and the Rose Street bus hub redevelopment currently underway with Whangarei District Council.

The council will run an awareness campaign shortly to inform passengers of the intended increases.

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