Urban Public Transport — Making Fares Free

The Policy: Green Party Transport Policy →

The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand has committed to making urban public transport fare-free across the country, phasing in access starting with the groups who need it most: young people, students, disabled people, and those on low incomes including beneficiaries. The policy sits within a broader transport platform focused on reducing car dependency, cutting transport emissions, and building high-frequency, well-integrated public transit networks in New Zealand's cities. The Greens argue that affordable — and ultimately free — public transport is both a climate solution and an equity issue.

The National-led coalition government takes the opposite view. Since taking office in late 2023, it has systematically wound back public transport subsidies, arguing that "taxpayers and ratepayers have been increasingly subsidising public transport" and that users should bear a greater share of operating costs. This has put the two parties in direct conflict over the direction of New Zealand's transport system.

What it does:

• Commits to making urban public transport fare-free, with phased implementation starting with young people, students, disabled people, and Community Services Card holders
• Covers buses, trains, and commuter ferries in urban areas
• Builds on earlier Green Party costings from 2017 which estimated free fares for under-19s and students would cost $70–80 million per year, funded from the Land Transport Fund
• A more recent Green Party proposal (March 2026) estimated that three months of free public transport nationally would cost $143.5 million, giving a rough annual cost of approximately $574 million for full national coverage
• Sits alongside a commitment to high-frequency, reliable, well-integrated public transport — the Greens argue free fares only work if the underlying service is good enough to use

Where things stand:

The coalition government — led by National, with Act and NZ First — moved quickly after taking office to dismantle the previous government's public transport subsidies. In its December 2023 mini-budget, it gave regional councils 90 days notice that central government would stop funding the Community Connect scheme, which had provided free travel for children aged 5–12 and half-price fares for those aged 13–24. From 1 May 2024, youth fares doubled or more in most regions: in Auckland, a Zone 1 fare for a 13–15-year-old rose from 70 cents to $1.35, while children who had travelled free now paid full adult fares. Some councils — including Otago — chose to fund the discounts themselves.

The government then went further. In November 2024, the New Zealand Transport Agency released a discussion document aimed at increasing the "private share of public transport operating expenditure" — in effect, pushing regional councils to raise fares substantially. Greater Wellington Regional Council's transport chair warned that meeting government targets would require Wellington fares to rise by 71 percent, turning a $3.30 two-zone commute into a $5.60 trip. Green transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter called the directive "a disaster" for low-income families and for climate action.

The Greens have continued to advocate for the opposite direction. In March 2026, in the context of a fuel supply crisis triggered by Middle East conflict, co-leaders Chlöe Swarbrick and Marama Davidson wrote to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon offering the Greens' 15 parliamentary votes to support a National-led relief package — on the condition it included three months of free public transport, at a costed price of $143.5 million. The government did not take up the offer; Finance Minister Nicola Willis said the government was developing a "targeted" package and was not considering broad fare subsidies. Ministry of Transport officials have explicitly stated they "do not recommend broad fare subsidies."

What to watch:

• Whether the government's push for higher "private share" fare revenue proceeds — Wellington and Auckland councils face a December deadline to agree to targets that would require fare hikes of up to 71 percent
• The Free Fares campaign, backed by more than 100 organisations including unions, councils, student bodies, and churches, which is pushing for free fares for students, under-25s, and Community Services Card holders
• Any 2026 election platform announcements from the Greens reaffirming or expanding the fare-free commitment, and whether Labour moves to adopt a similar position (Labour's 2026 platform includes a fare cap rather than full elimination)