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Labour vows to put $20-a-week cap on public transport, $10 outside main centres (www.rnz.co.nz)

submitted 2 weeks ago by Dave@lemmy.nz to c/politics@lemmy.nz

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Labour has vowed to cap public transport fares at $20 a week in main centres and $10 everywhere else if elected.

"This is real cost-of-living relief. It means cheaper commutes, more money left at the end of the week, and a public transport system that works for everyone."

The cap, which would be introduced on 1 July 2027, is $20 in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and $10 everywhere else.

The party said it was higher in main centres because they offered more services, that cost more.

The policy would cost about $65 million each year, using about 1 percent of the National Land Transport Fund, Labour said.

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[–] Dave@lemmy.nz 14 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

This is one of those times when my response is "you're telling me we could have had this all along for only $65M a year?"

[–] absGeekNZ@lemmy.nz 11 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Yep.

Free public transit world probably triple that. So for under $200M we could have free public transit for all.

That alone would reduce pressure on road networks, eliminating the need for billions in spending....

[–] Dave@lemmy.nz 6 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah for sure. Every $6B road could be 30 years of free public transport 😟

[–] TagMeInSkipIGotThis@lemmy.nz 5 points 1 week ago

I'd trade off having a $20 cap instead of free if they spent the extra $120m on increasing off peak & out of hours services. IMO there's a big gap for shift workers or people going out at night and having to drive because there's no other way to get there & home.

[–] MadPsyentist@lemmy.nz 8 points 2 weeks ago

I love Simeons response of "they are just taking the tax kiwis already pay and giving it back to them!" ( paraphrasing) No shit numb nuts! Better than giving it to some other asshole!

[–] nsh@lemmy.nz 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

Free public transport is what Qiulae Wong (The Opportunity Party leader) said in the interview below.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=1b9PP7FZL1E

I guess it makes sense since the public already subsidises roughly 90% of the entire network?

Edit: Small correction. TOP says free public transport. What Labour announced is $20 cap. Not quite the same.

[–] absGeekNZ@lemmy.nz 4 points 2 weeks ago

[–] Dave@lemmy.nz 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Does it? I guess I don't know much about how public transport is funded.

Is there any more info about that? I wasn't able to search up anything relevant.

I guess we have public transport for many reasons, which save money in other ways so it isn't really about the money (fewer roads to build, better air quality which means fewer hospital visits and deaths, fewer road accidents, etc).

I'm still keen on knowing if it's true that it's 90% subsidised, you're right why not 100%.

[–] nsh@lemmy.nz 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

According to their website, https://www.opportunity.org.nz/free_public_transport

For starters, moving to universal free fares is a 10% funding increase, not a 100% one. We already fund around 90% of the cost of public transport from taxes and rates; fares only cover about 10% of operating costs (or roughly $300 million a year on a $3–$4 billion system). Fully free public transport is about getting the most out of the money we’ve already invested into the network.

[–] Dave@lemmy.nz 1 points 2 weeks ago

Awesome, thanks!

[–] absGeekNZ@lemmy.nz 2 points 2 weeks ago

I'm very much an Opportunity supporter; but this is great policy from Labour. It could go further; but credit where credit is due.