MyWay by Metro fares excluded from fare reduction
The fare reduction will not include the MyWay by Metro service due to the unique challenges a rapid increase in patronage would cause to the on-demand service.
The service is restricted to eight vehicles, which meet the current and gradually increasing demand from the community.
"On-demand public transport operates very differently to a traditional fixed route service. While generally this is a good thing, as we can be flexible and innovative, it doesn't enable us to meet a sudden, significant or unplanned increase in demand," Gibbon said.
"As with most industries in Aotearoa, public transport is experiencing staffing challenges around the country due to Omicron. Our council has agreed it would be irresponsible to introduce a change that would lead to a greater uptake than our service could cope with.
"In making this decision, Councillors have been mindful of the need to ensure we can maintain an appropriate level of service and experience for existing and new customers. Although MyWay by Metro has capacity for some patronage growth, we couldn't guarantee that seats would be available at our busier times throughout the day if fares were halved," he said.
Community Vehicle Trusts are also not included in the discount as they are separate entities to Metro and do not fall under public transport.