More than 100,000 contactless payments have now been made on public transport in Greater Christchurch using Motu Move, in the one month since the new system was introduced to Metro services.

Launched on 10 November, Motu Move is the new National Ticketing Solution (NTS) which will eventually be used on public transport across all regions in Aotearoa. Canterbury is the first region to use Motu Move and the system is being rolled out in stages.

Motu Move currently allows customers to pay a standard adult Metro fare on buses and ferries in Greater Christchurch using a debit or credit card, and digital wallets such as Google Pay and Apple Pay. Customers can still use Metrocard, cash and SuperGold cards when boarding if they wish.

Canterbury Regional Council (Environment Canterbury) Chair Dr Deon Swiggs says he’s pleased to see so many people taking advantage of the new ways to pay.

“We’ve seen a steady rise in customers choosing to pay by their credit card or device, with more than 20,000 unique customers tagging on," he said.

“The feedback has been fantastic – people love the convenience of having one less card in their wallet. The numbers speak for themselves with more than 27% of adults who pay a non-concession adult fare choosing to use contactless payments.

“The number of adult cash fares have also dropped by more than 40%. This means more of our customers are getting better value as contactless fares are cheaper than cash.”

Canterbury Regional Council Public Transport Core Service Lead Cr Joe Davies said that it’s no surprise that contactless payments are proving popular.

“We always expected contactless payments would be a hit given how many people have been asking for this,” Cr Davies said.

“It’s good to see our region matching cities overseas that are already using contactless payments on public transport, and it will be even better when the full system is rolled out for everyone to use.”

Delivering for the community and next stages

“This milestone demonstrates how Canterbury Regional Council delivers for our community, and we’ve really embraced the opportunity to partner with NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) and the rest of the NTS programme on this project,” said Chair Swiggs.

“We’ve had a dedicated team working with multiple partners from procurement through to implementation, and we’ll continue that work as we fully roll out Motu Move next year.”

More features will be introduced in 2026 as the system continues to roll out across Canterbury, including concessions, a new website, and a new prepaid Motu Move card. See the Metro website for more information.

“We’ll keep our customers informed well ahead of any changes in 2026, ensuring everyone has plenty of time to prepare and choose the payment option that works best for them,” said Chair Swiggs.

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