Environment Canterbury regional councillors voted on Wednesday to extend the Greater Christchurch flat-fare trial until Motu Move, the new national payment system for public transport, is introduced.
Standard adult fares will then rise to $3, and 5 to 18-year-olds will pay $1.50.
Youths aged 19-24 will pay $2.50, Community Service card holders $1.50, and Total Mobility card holders (with a support person) $2.
The Diamond Harbour ferry will be $5 for an adult and $2.50 for a child. The weekly fare cap will return to 10 trips from the current cap of eight.
Bus fares in Christchurch are currently $2 for adults and $1 for children under ECan’s '$2 or less' promotion.
The new fares are set to come into effect when the new national payment system for public transport is launched.
It will be introduced in Timaru first, then Christchurch in April, May or June next year, and the rest of New Zealand after that. The fares will be:
- Standard adult fare: $3.00
- Child fare (5 to 18-years-old): $1.50
- Community Services card holder: $1.50
- Total Mobility card holder: $2.00
- Youth fare (19-24-years-old): $2.50
Motu Move contactless payments
ECan says Motu Move will allow customers to pay for the bus and ferry with their contactless debit or credit card, as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay on mobile phones and smart watches.
A pilot of the new system is currently underway on Route 29 (Airport-City).
"We’re really excited to be the first region in the country to be delivering Motu Move, and our decision ... around extending the flat-fare trial should help ensure an easier journey to get there," ECan chair Craig Pauling said.
"To be clear, the fare increase is not a result of Motu Move, they were set to be reviewed as we neared the end of the flat-fare trial.
"Increasing operating costs and the requirement to provide more private revenue share are some of the factors behind the fare change," he said.
There will also be an additional charge of 50 cents for customers who do not ‘tag-off’ at the end of their journey.
The current tertiary concession will finish when the new fares come in, but a Community Services card holder and youth concession rate will remain.
Changes to the fare structure in Greater Christchurch will need to be approved through the 2025/26 Annual Plan.
"It’s important to note that these fares changes are not immediate and won’t come into place for some months," Pauling said.
"We encourage customers to make the most of our great $2 or less fares while they’re still around."
Photo: Environment Canterbury
NZTA's request
The decision around the new fares follows the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi’s (NZTA) recent request for a private revenue share agreement.
ECan's current share is 13.9 per cent. NZTA is proposing this increase to 18 per cent for this current financial year, then to 25 per cent over the 2025-26 financial year, rising again to 38 per cent in 2026-27.
ECan received a report from staff about the request on Wednesday and agreed to authorise the chief executive and chair to draft a letter in response.
"We welcome the introduction of these targets and the need for public transport authorities to contribute more but this needs to be on balance with making the targets achievable, timely and realistic," Pauling said.
Staff will report back to regional councillors on the NZTA request and potential alternative options by March 31, 2025.
