March 21, 2022
Public transport subsidy Government call
The head of Wellington’s Metlink transport service says it won’t be able to extend half-price fares beyond the three months the Government is paying for.
The public transport subsidy kicks in on April 1 in response to a surge in the cost of living.
Metlink general manager Scott Gallacher says revenue has already dropped significantly during the pandemic as more people work from home.
It’s up to Government to assess how well the fares work and whether they should continue.
“Clearly when the Government lets us know their intentions in terms of whether they want to fund this longer term, we will be able to make some calls in terms of how we think about the appropriate fare structure and fare strategy for our communities,” he says
Mr Gallacher says hopes the cheaper fares encourage more people to use public transport.