Fare shock for capital commuters 

Wellington commuters using public transport face a fare price shock on Monday.

Bus and train commuters in the capital will have to pay up to $1 more per trip.
 
The Wellington Regional Council says the fare rises are a sad reality as it tries to cope with rising costs.
 
"This represents about a 5% increase per year and lots of costs have gone up much higher than that, especially petrol," says Peter Glensor, Wellington Regional Councillor.

However, it's common knowledge that none of the capital's trolley buses or trains actually run on petrol. So how can the council justify the price increase?

"With the cost of labour going up both running the trains and running the buses is more expensive than it used to be," says Glensor.

Critics say the fare hike will just drive people back to their cars.

"It's a backwards step in the fight against climate change. We really need to be doing everything we can to encourage people to choose public transport," says Lyndy McIntyre, Kapiti Transport Action Group and long-term commuter.

Auckland's regional transport authority has vowed not to lift fares this year, which they claim is to encourage more people out of their gas-guzzlers and on to public transport.

But despite the fare fuss, many working Wellingtonians say public transport is still the best option.