by Colin Ambler/cvnznews.com
Greater Wellington Regional Council is urging the Government to step in as soaring diesel prices threaten the stability of the capital’s public transport network. Without targeted support, the council says Metlink may soon face the difficult choice of cutting services or raising fares beyond increases already scheduled for May.
Council Chair Daran Ponter has written to the Ministers of Finance, Transport and Energy outlining several measures the Government could take to protect passengers and ease cost‑of‑living pressures. He says March delivered record patronage across the Metlink network as rising fuel prices pushed more people toward buses and trains — but the surge in demand has not offset the financial hit.
According to Metlink, escalating diesel costs are adding around $130,000 per week to operating expenses, with further increases expected despite the ceasefire in the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. Ponter says the situation is becoming unsustainable.
“Without Government support, we will soon be forced to consider cutting services or hiking fares beyond increases planned in May,” he says. “At a time when households are under pressure, we’re ready to work with the Government on practical solutions that reduce fuel use and mitigate the inflationary costs New Zealanders are facing.”
Public Transport Committee Chair Ros Connelly says encouraging off‑peak travel is one of the most effective ways to manage demand without reducing services. With spare capacity available outside peak hours, she believes the Government could help by allowing civil servants to shift their start and finish times and by encouraging private employers to do the same.
“The increasing patronage shows how critical public transport is right now,” Connelly says. “People rely on it every day to access work, school and essential services. Supporting public transport during a fuel crisis is a shared responsibility.”
The council has also asked the Government to consider higher off‑peak discounts and to relax private share‑funding requirements. Meanwhile, Metlink is rolling out improvements of its own, including enabling full adult fares to be paid with bank cards and mobile devices from 12 April, and optimising its electric bus, train and ferry fleets.
Ponter says Metlink could defer its planned 3.1% fare increase on 15 May if Government support is secured.
“We’re not asking for free fares. We’re asking for practical, targeted assistance to help communities with fuel costs.”
