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.
