25 signatures reached
To: the House of Representatives
Bring back age-based public transport subsidies
We request that the House of Representatives permanently re-establish the age-based public transport subsidies for people below 24 years old under the Community Connect scheme 2023. This means free public transport for 5-12 year olds and half-price fares for 13 -24 year olds.
Why is this important?
Affordable public transport means everyone can stay connected and have easy access to their places of work, study, and community. Access to public transport is especially critical for younger people.
Yet, some people in New Zealand view ownership of vehicles as a sign of economic progress and success which fuels the "cars is how we move around mindset". Because of this view, the Government is putting massive amounts of funding into road projects.
At the same time, the Government has made large cuts in funding for the Community Connect programme.
Community Connect was a targeted package aimed at making public transport more affordable. From 1 July 2023, Community Connect provided:
- half-price fares for people aged 24 and under
- free fares for children aged 12 and under.
It will take a lot of time for people to get out of the ‘cars first’ mindset and make different behaviour decisions.
Cheaper public transport is a big stepping stone into achieving the ‘collective transport first’ goal.
Increased use of public transport can lead to a decrease in reliance on private vehicles, reducing traffic congestion, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to New Zealand’s climate change mitigation goals.
As young people are more aware, open to, and statistically more likely to use public transport for access to education and jobs, we need to offer a hand to this shift in behaviour.
We are Fare Fighters, a campaign group of school students. Please sign our petition if you also want to make getting around easy and accessible for all young people!
If you would like to have more information, we encourage you to explore this article - Public transport subsidies are ending. Here's how much ...RNZhttps://www.rnz.co.nz › news › national › public-transport...