Motu Move rolls out in Greater Christchurch

Motu Move, Aotearoa New Zealand’s National Ticketing Solution, has launched in Greater Christchurch. Residents and visitors can now pay for Metro bus and ferry services using contactless credit/debit cards, phones, or smartwatches.

Through the National Ticketing Solution (NTS), passengers can now pay for standard non-concession adult fares using these new methods on all Metro bus and ferry services in Christchurch City, Selwyn and Waimakariri.

“We’re thrilled to launch the first stage of Motu Move in Greater Christchurch,” said NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) Chief Customer & Services Officer Sarina Pratley.

“We’d like to thank Canterbury Regional Council (Environment Canterbury) for working with us to be the first region in the country to roll out Motu Move.”

“This is an exciting milestone and will allow people within Greater Christchurch to choose their preferred contactless payment option when using public transport,” Sarina said.

Contactless payments with Motu Move

Canterbury Regional Council Chair Dr Deon Swiggs said it’s exciting for the region to lead the way in rolling out Motu Move.

“For people that don’t have a Metrocard, knowing that you can now hop on a bus or ferry by simply tagging on with a debit or credit card makes public transport much more accessible for both residents and visitors,” he said.

“We will continue to work closely with NZTA, partners and community groups to ensure that the transition to the new system is as smooth as possible when other features such as concessions are implemented.”

Future features of Motu Move

Additional functionality will be added to the system in 2026, including the ability to manage concession fares on a range of payment options and a new prepaid Motu Move card.

“As Motu Move is gradually introduced to the rest of New Zealand throughout 2026 and 2027, it will allow people to seamlessly travel within regions on buses, trains and ferries, using the payment option that works best for them,” Sarina said.

“No matter where they are in the country or how they choose to travel, public transport passengers will be able to use the same contactless payment option.

“Motu Move will also make it easier for public transport authorities to gain insights into how public transport is used in their region and where services could be improved,” she said.

Motu Move is targeted to be operational throughout New Zealand by the end of 2027.

Learn more: Find out about Motu Move and how it works in Greater Christchurch.