The Wellington revenue target is the highest in the country, alongside Otago. Photo: RNZ / Phil Pennington
Wellington regional councillors are poised to rule out steep fare hikes for public transport on Thursday, with agenda documents calling NZTA's proposed revenue targets "unrealistic and unachievable".
Last November, RNZ reported Waka Kotahi had sent letters to all public transport authorities, laying out new expectations for how much revenue they brought in via advertising and fares - known as "private share".
To meet the targets set for Welllington, the council estimated fares would have to rise by as much as 70% over the next three years.
Wellingtonians currently spending $10 a day on Metlink fares would spend $17 a day under the new rates.
Greater Wellington Regional Council agenda documents published on Tuesday show the NZTA target set for Wellington was the highest, alongside Otago.
"Analysis by Greater Wellington officers has identified that the quantum of change required, within the timeframes signalled, is both unrealistic and unachievable, without a significant increase to fares and/or reduction in services," it says.
Councillors will vote on Thursday to set lower targets for revenue - 25.7% by 2027, rather than the 42% proposed by NZTA.
Regional council transport committee chair Thomas Nash said it was a relief to face "achievable and realistic targets".
The old ones had come on top of a refusal from the government to help fund the region's $270 million three-year plan for public transport infrastructure, and "would have required massive fare increases and severe cost cutting measures that would have undermined our public transport service and increased the cost of living for many Wellingtonians", he said.
"The initial targets were also counterproductive to the government's goal of growing fare revenue, because the best way to grow fare revenue is to improve your public transport services, so that more people use them."
Wellington isn't the only council to deviate from the proposed targets. Late last month, Environment Canterbury (ECan) voted for a gradual increase in bus fares over the next three years, despite Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency pushing for sharper fare rises.
NZTA said it was "continuing to work with public transport authorities (PTAs) to set private share targets for the next three years" and the board would consider its proposed targets in May.
