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Download AudioAuckland mayoral candidate Efeso Collins wants to get rid of fares on the city’s public transport.
He says the policy would be positive for easing traffic congestion and tackling climate change – both priorities for the council – as well as putting money back in the pockets of whānau.
In the first month of the Government’s half-price fares scheme there was an increase of more than 100,000 trips on Auckland Transport services.
“We’ve seen that it works, The evidence shows from what the Government did in April that there is an uplift in the number of people travelling by bus or train and that’s why I am endorsing the fares free approach because it provides universal benefits so people can just jump on the bus and get where they need to go,” Mr Collins says.
He says the policy could be funded by reallocating existing budgets and subsidies.
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