Exec push for free busses for students

Massey’s Wellington student exec is pushing for free busses for students, alongside an increase frequency, capacity, affordability and reliability of bus and train routes. We love to see it. MAWSA submitted their asks to the Greater Wellington Regional Land and Public Transport Plan on 19 March, with plans to submit orally in late April.  

MAWSA President, Tessa Guest, says that “having our say in this plan was a priority for us, because it's one of the biggest issues our tauira face. It's clear that a huge portion of our cohort travel to uni via public transport but, to be honest, there are endless issues within a system we need to rely on daily.”  

One of the major asks of the document included free busses for full and part time tertiary students and community services card holders. In their meeting minutes, MAWSA notes that it’s “likely that we’ll get 50% rather than 100%, but it’s still helpful to be ambitious in our asks”. Tessa says, “Wellington students have fought in huge ways in this space already, which got us the 25% discount for off-peak hours on busses, and a 25% discount for 10-trip train cards. But that's obviously not enough. Students in Wellington pay some of the highest rent prices in Aotearoa, and have been forced out of the city. On top of that, parking is limited and expensive, so public transport is often the only option. We need drastic and urgent changes in fares in order to keep getting to campus.”  

MAWSA also asked for more frequent busses and trains, “particularly at night and during weekends, so students don't get stranded on campus for hours at a time, or end up waiting alone at bus shelters late at night”. Other asks included better disability access, adequate information and safe shelter, alongside full electrification by 2030. Only time will tell how successful a small group of baby politicians are, but God bless them all the same.