SuperGold card free public transport

National Grey Power Federation president Tom O’Connor said it was disappointing that Auckland Transport had gone ahead and undermined the Government’s promise to SuperGold card holders of free public transport in off peak times anywhere in New Zealand.

Following the recent review of the scheme the Government capped the cost for the next five years and bulk funded regional councils which manage it.

“We were given a very clear promise by Transport Minister Simon Bridges that SuperGold cardholders would continue to access the scheme as they could prior to the recent review of the scheme. Recent developments with Auckland Transport where the new scheme is being rolled out first, have seriously undermined that undertaking with the introduction of a charge to SuperGold card holders for an electronic ticket and the requirement to pre loading of these with $5, a total outlay per person of $15. In other words, SuperGold card holders will have to pay Auckland Transport to get a free Government funded ride on their buses,” he said.

O’Connor said he was in talks with Simon Bridges and Senior Citizens Minister Hon Maggie Barry over the issue and wanted a solution before the scheme was rolled out in other centres across the country.

“The Auckland Transport action could set a precedent for other places although Dunedin was supplying electronic tickets at no cost to SuperGold card holders. If they can, anyone can. We don’t want to buy a fight with Government over this but we will if we have to. There are a number of options to solve the problem and the bottom line is that there should be no cost to SuperGold card holders to access free, Government funded, public transport nation-wide. That is Government policy,” he said.

O’Connor said some of his 70,000 members were very angry that they had been ignored and were going to have their free transport taken away by a bus company which was being paid to provide it.

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