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Free buses and trains for kids on weekends, says Goff

Author
Simon Wilson,
Publish Date
Mon, 13 May 2019, 3:28PM
 (Photo / Jason Oxenham)
(Photo / Jason Oxenham)

Free buses and trains for kids on weekends, says Goff

Author
Simon Wilson,
Publish Date
Mon, 13 May 2019, 3:28PM

Auckland mayor Phil Goff wants children under 15 to be allowed to travel free on public transport on weekends and public holidays.

The policy is one of the first he's announced in his bid to gain re-election in October.

"It'll be great to encourage more kids and families to use public transport and help deal to congestion," he said. Goff expects the proposal to increase passenger usage by nearly one million trips per year.

Goff is also supporting a proposal to fully integrate ferries into the public transport system. This would mean passengers are charged a fixed price for travel within certain zones, no matter what mode of public transport they use.

Currently, the ferry companies set their fares prices separately from the rest of the city's transport system.

The mayor says this would lower the cost of travel for more than a quarter of ferry passengers using HOP cards and lead to an estimated increase of 180,000 trips per year.

Goff wants both proposals to be included in the council's annual budget, which will come into effect on July 1.

The draft of that budget has already been through public consultation and is now being refined by officials for adoption by the full council.

Goff has not indicated how he would find the money for these policies.

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