Why are Wellington public transport fares increasing?

Metlink fares are increasing by 3.1% as part of Greater Wellington Regional Council funding decisions made earlier this year.

What changes are happening to Snapper off-peak discounts?

The Snapper off-peak discount is being reduced from 30% to 20%, increasing travel costs for many commuters.

Why is the NZCTU criticising the fare hike?

The NZCTU argues the fare increase disproportionately impacts working people already struggling with rising living costs and the fuel crisis.

How much extra could commuters pay each year?

A commuter travelling from Masterton to Wellington five days a week could pay almost $290 more annually under the new fare structure.

Wellington Fare Hike Hits Workers During Fuel Crisis

ByThe Daily Blog 14 May 202619 May 2026

As Wellingtonians battle rising grocery bills, power prices and a worsening fuel crisis, public transport costs are climbing again — with unions warning working people are being squeezed from every direction while governments continue treating essential infrastructure like a profit centre.

Working people in the greater Wellington region face yet another cost increase from Friday, when Metlink fares rise 3.1% and the Snapper off-peak discount drops from 30% to 20%.

New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi President Sandra Grey says the timing could not be worse.

– Advertisement –

“Like all Kiwis, Wellingtonians are already being squeezed from every direction. Groceries are up, electricity is up, and we are in the middle of a fuel supply crisis. Now the bus and the train are going up too. Something has to give, and right now it is working people’s wages,” Grey says.

Shift workers are paying the biggest price

“This hike hits shift workers hardest. Cutting the off-peak discount from 30% to 20% is effectively a tax on the cleaners, hospo workers, nurses, and security staff who travel outside the 9-to-3 and after-6:30pm windows because that is when their work demands it.”

A Wairarapa commuter travelling from Masterton to Wellington will pay an extra 56 cents each way at peak – close to $290 a year for a five-day-a-week commuter.

Public transport should not be a luxury

Greater Wellington’s decision was made on 19 February 2026, before the recent fuel price increases. They have said they are monitoring the impact of fuel costs on transport.

“Greater Wellington needs to revisit this decision in light of the fuel crisis. And the Government needs to step up. Public transport is essential infrastructure – not a user-pays luxury. The funding settings that force councils to keep raising fares are broken,” Grey says.

Grey says the CTU is calling on central government to lift its share of public transport funding so that councils around the motu are not forced into a cycle of annual fare hikes that hit working people hardest.