Metlink fares returning across the region on July 1

Metlink has announced that full fares will return across the region on July 1 now that New Zealand has moved to alert level 1 and physical distancing restrictions have been lifted.

Fares, including the handling of cash, were temporarily suspended to support the Government’s public health response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

General Manager Scott Gallacher says Metlink has been working very closely with the Government on the safest and fairest time to reintroduce full fares to passengers across the region.

“Reintroducing fares in July makes sense following New Zealand’s excellent response to COVID-19 and the recent removal of physical distancing measures under alert level 1. Our passengers, drivers, staff on trains and at station kiosks can now safely and confidently interact again,” says Mr Gallacher.

Advice from the Ministry of Health has confirmed it is safe to handle cash, provided this is done responsibly. Good hand hygiene remains essential, with passengers and staff continuing to wash or sanitise their hands as soon as they can during, before and after travel.

“We’re asking passengers to use contactless payments wherever possible, that means Snapper on buses, monthly passes or 10-trip tickets on trains, and eftpos on the ferries. Where cash needs to be used we’re encouraging people to use exact change to reduce any unnecessary handling” says Mr Gallacher.

Metlink continue to work with Snapper on reviewing the coverage of Snapper kiosks across the region. A Snapper App for Android phones is available, and an iPhone app is being launched within the next month or so.

Monthly and 10-trip train tickets will be for sale from train station ticket windows from Monday 22 June. A rail monthly pass or 10-trip tickets are good ways to save money.

Roger Blakeley, chair of Greater Wellington’s Transport committee says the public’s response to COVID-19 has been exceptional.

“We’ve asked a lot from passengers during the various COVID-19 levels and I’d like to thank them for the incredible patience, fairness and kindness they’ve shown throughout all the COVID-19 levels.

“We’ve had feedback from essential workers, thanking our train staff and bus drivers for getting them to their hospital shifts under level 4; reports of people giving up their spots in queues so that families can travel together; and stories of people on the streets spontaneously clapping and giving our drivers a thumbs up.”

“I’d also like to thank everyone at Metlink for their monumental efforts during COVID-19. As a public transport user myself, it’s been fantastic to see cleaners, engineers, mechanics, drivers, ambassadors, communications and operations staff, union reps and many more people behind the scenes coming together to keep public transport running as an essential service,” adds Cr Blakeley.

Metlink continues to follow advice from the Government on robust cleaning, distancing and fare collection practices to keep passengers and staff safe.