Bus fares, discounts to rise

Press, 26 October 1984, Page 7

Bus fares, discounts to rise

Most Christchurch bus travellers will find themselves paying new bus fares when they return from their Christmas holiday. The Christchurch Transport Board will introduce a new fare schedule on January 7 which incorporates both an increase in cash fares and an increase in the discounts available on concession cards. This is the first adjustment the board has made to its fares since January, 1982.

“The main object of the new fare schedule is to encourage the use of multitrip tickets,” said the board’s general manager, Mr Max Taylor. Although cash fares for longer -journeys will increase, regular travellers will avoid most of the rise by switching to trip cards. Fares will now be more related to journey length. There will be five main fares and passengers will be able to travel two sections for the present one-section price. However, fares for longer

journeys will increase between 20 per cent and 33 per cent.

The board’s off-peak, halffare concessions will still apply and discounts for multi-trip tickets will increase from 20 per cent to 25 per cent of the equivalent cash fare.

The 100 per cent surcharge on journeys starting or finishing outside the board’s rating district will be retained and all child fares will be half the adult fare.

Charges for the board’s “Be Mobile” service will increase 60c a passenger trip to $1.20, and fares for its four tours — Hills and Harbour, City and Suburbs, Orana Park, and Willowbank Wildlife Reserve — will be slightly increased. Charges for carrying luggage, parcels, and prams will remain at 15c.

The Transport Board’s leaflet outlining the new fare structure is available on all buses, from ticket agents, and at the board’s information kiosk in Cathedral Square.