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Wellington buses and trains are getting busier, but one analyst says not everyone is being fairly charged.
the Metlink best rates The review evaluated changes made by Metlink in July 2018, including free transfers, student discounts, and a 3 percent fee increase.
It found that growth was largely driven by off-peak users taking advantage of discounted rates outside of busy hours.
A 25 percent discount for off-peak travel saw greater acceptance than expected, representing about two million additional trips.
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Overall, the changes led to a higher-than-expected increase in boarding, 4.6 percent compared to the expected 4 percent, for a total of 3 million additional passengers.
Introducing the report to the Greater Wellington Regional Council, general manager of public transportation Wayne Hastie said the overall increase in sponsorship could have been as high as 7 percent this year, if it weren’t for the Covid-19 blockade. .
Ross Giblin / Things
Wellington experienced a significant increase in the use of public transportation after the introduction of new fares.
The changes also had less than expected impact on revenue, a $ 2.5 million hit compared to the expected $ 5.7 million.
Snapper cards now account for 78 percent of all bus boardings, compared to 60 percent in 2018. An integrated national ticketing system was identified as a priority, because it would allow train and bus travelers to pay using the same method, and would provide the advice with more data on how people use the network.
“The report clearly shows that, as a package, Metlink accomplished much of what it set out to accomplish, and this contributed to more people using the network throughout the region than originally imagined,” said Council Member Roger Blakeley.
However, business analyst and blogger Tony Randle criticized the report’s findings.
He stated that the increase in boardings may be an inaccurate way to assess the increased sponsorship, given that the changes in the bus network in 2019 forced many passengers to make more transfers as part of their trip.
Hastie said the total approach was the measure they had always used.
“Under the new network, some areas need more transfers and others need less. There were very few forced transfers on people, “he said.
Ross Giblin / Things
An analyst said bus users in the city of Wellington were overpaying compared to the rest of the region.
Randle also said that an analysis of base train and bus fares versus cost of driving ignored most users.
The report also showed that taking public transportation was 60 percent cheaper than driving long-distance trips. However, for trips between one and three zones, there was little or no difference in cost, excluding parking fees.
Randle also claimed that the council’s fare structure meant that public transit travelers in Wellington City were effectively subsidizing the rest of the region. Across the network, costs are shared roughly equally between transportation rates and commuter rates. However, in the city, commuters pay 64 percent of the share, compared to just 33 percent in larger regions.
Councilwoman Jenny Brash said it was “like comparing apples and potatoes,” because many buses in the larger areas are feeder buses to train stations, which are subsidized by the council.
