Presbyterian Support Otago chief executive Jo Rowe says an extended reduction to bus fares is "absolutely fantastic".
The Government will extend cuts to fuel taxes, road user charges, and half-price public transport fares until the end of January next year, as new inflation figures out today are expected to show another three months of pain for households.
A lot of people who needed support still struggled with getting to and from the supermarket or the support office.
Many people it serviced walked "great distances" to pick up food parcels, she said.
Getting around the city was expensive and could be another barrier for people getting essential goods.
"Anything that reduces costs in the middle of a cost of living crisis is a good thing."
Bus Users Support Group Otepoti co-president Alex King said a lot of people were still finding it hard to afford transport and the reduced fares would make a big difference.
It was a win-win situation, as it gave more people an affordable way to travel and reduced carbon emissions by taking more cars off the road.
However, many felt they could not rely on the buses at the moment due to the driver shortage, he said.
The view was shared by Dunedin Tramways Union secretary Philip Matthews, who said the extended reduction was great for customers, but would not help the issues the bus system were facing at the moment.
Many customers had no other option than to take the bus, but the timetables were unreliable due to the driver shortage.
