Funding the new service

Public transport in Canterbury is managed by Environment Canterbury and is funded with a combination of central government grants, fares from users and Environment Canterbury targeted local rates.

Central government grants: Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has already approved a grant to cover its portion of the funding required to operate the proposed direct commuter bus services.

Fares from users: Fares for the proposed new service would be the same as Metro fares for the existing Blue Line and 95 services.

Targeted local public transport rates: New services would require additional Waimakariri urban and rural targeted public transport rates (beyond what is currently rated for), applied by Environment Canterbury, to cover the local rates share of the funding. This is necessary as the current targeted rates for public transport are fully allocated to the existing Metro services.

To find out what rate you currently pay, see your latest rates bill or head to waimakariri.govt.nz.

Service and funding options

We have suggested two different options for the direct bus service, which would require different levels of funding from rates.

Option 1:

Four trips from both Rangiora and Kaiapoi into central Christchurch in the morning, and five back in the afternoon. This is the level of service we believe is needed for it to be successful by offering enough different travel time options to make it attractive for as many people as possible.

Targeted rate	Current rate	Maximum increase
Urban	$81.10	$30
Rural	$9.70	$10

Option 2:

Three trips from both Rangiora and Kaiapoi into Christchurch in the morning, and three back in the afternoon. This is the minimum number of trips we believe should be considered, as anything lower would be unlikely to be successful.

Targeted rate	Current rate	Maximum increase
Urban	$81.10	$22
Rural	$9.70	$7