FUND AGENCY ATTACKS RAIL, BUS FARE RISE
24 May 2008COLIN PATTERSON
THE Government's transport funding agency has blasted a planned 10 per cent increase in the capital's bus and train fares.
In a submission to Greater Wellington regional council's draft annual plan, Land Transport New Zealand said the increase, proposed to take effect from September 1, should be delayed.
LTNZ, which provides 75 per cent of the money the council spends on transport, said the rise would lead to a drop in public transport use, which would be contrary to the council's targets to attract passengers.
The last fare rise, of 15 per cent in September 2006, led to a 4.4 per cent reduction in passenger trips in 2007 compared with the previous year.
LTNZ's regional partnership manager, Ian Hunter, agreed that costs were rising and the council had to find the money from either users or ratepayers, but said it should raise fares only when users were benefiting from improvements. "That's certainly not the case at the moment."
Regional council chairwoman Fran Wilde said the council was working with operators to limit patronage losses, which it believed would mostly be temporary.
Ms Wilde said LTNZ had recently told the council it wanted users to pay their share of inflation costs. "This can only be achieved by fare increases."
Brent Efford, from lobby group Transport 2000+, said the submission largely mirrored what his group had been arguing.
"The regional council has not produced a robust justification for the increase. It looks opportunistic."
Kapiti Coast commuter Barbara Drayton said LTNZ's intervention was positive news. She said trains had not improved in the four years she had used the service. They were crowded in the mornings, with standing room only from Paekakariki.
"I want to see new carriages before there are any fare increases."
Another Kapiti Coast commuter said she and her partner paid $4500 a year for their rail pass. "If fares go up it would be cheaper for us to drive."
Ms Wilde said councillors would make their decision next month.
"My view is that fares are unlikely to be left where they are. The transport operators will not work for nothing and services need to be funded."
© 2008 Fairfax New Zealand Limited. All Rights Reserved.
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