Waikato SuperGold card holders may lose the right to ride buses during peak times for free.
The change is part of a Waikato Regional Council proposal that will go to community consultation after being approved in chambers on Thursday morning.
If adopted, it would remove free travel between 7am and 9am, and 3pm and 6.30pm, Monday to Friday.
Waikato Regional Council and its ratepayers currently pick up the tab for all peak travel trips for SuperGold members, costing approximately $155,000 per annum as per the 24/25 financial year.
Free transport during off-peak hours, weekends and holidays is funded by central Government as part of a nation-wide scheme.
Councillor Ben Dunbar-Smith alerted his colleagues that he’s already received feedback from members of the public. He specifically mentioned those in rural areas such as Ōtorohanga condemning the move.
He said the document had been well read by some members of the public who had complained about the proposal.
The change follows council lodging a formal review of its public transport fare policies as costs “have increased significantly in recent years due to fuel, labour, maintenance and service expansion costs,” according to the agenda.
But the seniors’ loss may well be the youths’ gain as council also proposed a 20% discount for 5-18 year olds on all bus services. Those aged 15-18 year olds would also join the current 5-15 bracket in receiving half price tickets for the Te Huia rail service.
“At the same time, the Government expects a greater share of public transport operating costs to be paid through fares. Council needs to balance affordability and accessibility while ensuring services remain financially sustainable,” the agenda added.
Councillor and transport committee chairperson Liz Stolwyk commended staff for their report, saying the stage of community consultation marks “a really important part of our process”.
She expects Hamilton City Council to make a “significant submission” on the proposal, saying the body is “very interested in some of our changes”.
Councillor Angela Strange agreed with her colleague, adding it’s especially important for the region to be aligned with “what everyone else is doing nationwide”.
The new system’s aim is to provide affordable travel for those “most likely to face transport disadvantage, including young people, people with accessibility needs and lower income households”, council’s report said.
“The preferred fare package reflects this approach by retaining strong support for passengers with limited transport alternatives, improving affordability for a broader range of young people, simplifying aspects of the fare structure, and supporting continued investment in a reliable and effective public transport network.”
Other sweeping changes laid out in the proposal included fare capping aligning to nine journeys per week for all age groups, with 5-18 previously sitting at 6.5.
Maximum bus fare zones will also be capped at six, with the goal to simplify the structure and “reduce the cost of some longer regional bus trips”, the report said.
Community consultation will begin September 3 and will close October 5. Final recommendations and potential adoption will be presented to council in December.
-LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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