Petition for a free fare tradition!
Freefares.nz
Arguably, the most misleading part of being a child is that everything in the world comes freely. You never stop to question the $9 box of cereal in the supermarket, the massive price hike on things with an ‘eco-friendly’ label or the Snapper machine when your card declines - even though you only topped up two days ago. Transcending into adulthood means watching the world become one big, money-sucking monster ready to snatch every last dime from your feeble, overworked fingers. Luckily for us though, our childhood privileges may not be over just yet! Free Fares is a campaign advocating free public transport nationwide for Community Services Card holders, tertiary students and under-25s. Not only would this mean we are left with extra coins in our pocket, but a cleaner carbon footprint and less congestion on the roads.
So how much money could you save? In my opinion, even a few dollars is a win, but given that the cost of petrol has reached an all-time high and we are well on the way to forking out $3.00 for the standard 91, we’re talking about hundreds of dollars. Even if you don’t drive, the average cost of public transport for students ranges from $3-$5 per fare – and that’s with a 25% discount! For many students this cost of travel impedes study and some students trade off days in which they can afford to go to campus, reducing their access to resources. “Free transport would be transformational to students. Many of us live on low incomes and have to choose what we want to spend our money on,” says Kim Fowler, President of Canterbury University’s Students’ Association. “We want to make the best choice for the climate, but that’s hard when it’s so expensive.” Saving those daily dollars on transport will not only benefit students financially but also enhance university attendance rates and improve grades, while also immensely improving our country’s carbon footprint!
Road transportation is Aotearoa’s fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions and a massive stain on our clean, green reputation. When SuperGold Card users across our country were granted free public transport in off-peak hours back in 2008, we prevented 1.4 million car journeys in the first year. Additionally, free public transport overseas in Germany and Belgium led to increases in patronage in excess of 1000% (and no that is not a typo, it was really over 1000%!). Imagine how much cleaner and greener our country would be if free transport were extended to a larger percentage of our population. ‘But how will our bus companies cope with such a large influx of new users, especially in peak hours?’, one might ask. Mika from Free Fares has all the right answers. He says that having First Union as a supporter of the campaign ensures not only that more bus drivers will be placed in employment, but as the demand grows there will be better pay and treatment for bus drivers across all networks. Having more drivers consequentially means more busses being put on the roads, creating an all-round better public transport system.
Free public transport for the aforementioned demographics is “a necessary step to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and promote transport equity, and is a step towards free fares for all,” says a Free Fares spokesperson. “It will embed the habit of public transport use in Aotearoa’s younger generation and lead our country to a cleaner, greener, more sustainable future.” The Fares Free coalition has attracted over 7,000 signatures and could undoubtedly do with more, so if this campaign sounds like a bit of you (and why wouldn’t it? You’d be saving the planet and travelling for free baby!!!) then gather your friends, your whānau, and sign and share the petition!
Go to www.freefares.nz for more information.