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

submitted 1 week 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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[–] nsh@lemmy.nz 3 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days 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 5 days ago

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

Awesome, thanks!