Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has revealed his latest plans for public transport in the city.
The Mayor believes Auckland residents should pay no more than $50 each week on transport including bus, rail, and inner harbour ferry services.
"We need to get the most out of what we've already got and focus on doing more for less," Brown said in a statement on Thursday. "This is just one example of a practical cost-effective improvement that can make a big difference for Aucklanders."
The proposed $50 limit would be automatically applied to HOP cards and is estimated to cost $1.3 million.
Auckland Transport has also been asked to look at the feasibility of an annual pass.
From 2024, people can tap on to a bus, train or ferry using Open Loop ticketing, which includes payWave, Apple, Google Pay, contactless debit and credit cards in addition to their current HOP card.
Those with concession fares will continue to use their existing AT HOP cards, which Mayor Brown said will reduce barriers to public transport for Aucklanders and visitors to the region, before adopting a government-led National Ticketing System (NTS).
The Mayor has also set aside $400 million to get Auckland's buses and traffic moving.
Progress on Auckland's rapid transport network would focus on busways, in addition to finishing the City Rail Link. This involves completing the Eastern busway, progressing the Northwestern Busway, and upgrades to the Northern Busway.
Improvements to transport corridors from Māngere to the airport precinct, and the airport precinct to Botany are also included in the proposal.
More than $200 million is proposed to improve the reliability of buses, as well as the standard of stops, shelters, and passenger safety.
