OPINION: Here's a good way to discourage the use of public transport: increase fares.
Its press release cheekily says 20 cents, because of the current half-price public transport policy.
Shorter journeys will see a bigger increase than longer journeys too.
They've given a whole lot of reasons for the increase too, including blaming COVID-19 lockdowns, more people working from home, and usage dropping.
They cite inflation and operating costs too.
It comes at a time when the public transport system in Auckland is in a dire state.
The trains aren't running because of KiwiRail's network rebuild.
There are ferry driver and bus driver shortages.
Buses are constantly being cancelled.
The City Rail Link has just blown its budget by one billion dollars.
And now the die-hards who are still persevering with using public transport will have to pay more for it.
We will have to pay more, for a service that is significantly worse than it's been in years.
What's Auckland Transport not increasing the prices of? Car parking.
That's another way to keep people in their cars. Keep car parks cheap, and the alternative more expensive.
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