Travel pass aims to make sightseeing easy

A special travel pass is to be unveiled today for the Rugby World Cup. Photo / Richard Robinson

Auckland Transport is today unveiling a special travel pass for Rugby World Cup visitors and their hosts.

The A-Pass has been rushed into production to provide overseas visitors with the type of electronic transport ticket many will be used to in their home cities.

But it will be available for anyone to buy and use between September 1 and October 24 for $15 a day, and will serve as a combined visual and electronic ticket based on the Hop card, which has operated since May on Auckland's largest bus fleet.

Although it will cost the same as the existing visual Discovery pass, and will entitle holders to the same unlimited travel for a day at a time on trains, buses and inner-harbour ferries, it will also include discount offers to city attractions such as the zoo and several museums.

Public transport to and from Rugby World Cup games will be free to match ticketholders, but those who want to see the sights between times will be able to load up to six days of travel entitlements on to each pass.

Its importance to the roll-out of the region's $98 million integrated public transport ticket scheme is that it will be used to tag on electronically to trains and ferries for the first time, and not just on buses operated by subsidiary companies of NZ Bus.

The pass will also be accepted as a visual ticket by most other public bus companies apart from the Airbus Express, which is a significant omission as it runs between the airport and downtown Auckland.

Auckland Mayor Len Brown said the A-Pass was great news for the rugby tournament and for the integrated ticketing project.

"International visitors expect this kind of approach to public transport," he said. "I'm looking forward to the day that it will be part of everyday travel for Aucklanders."

A-PASS

* Available: From September 1 until October 24.
* Cost: $15 a day.
* Entitlements: Unlimited travel on trains, inner-harbour ferries and most buses, plus discounts to city attractions such as Auckland Zoo, Auckland Museum, the Stardome, the Voyager New Zealand Maritime Museum, the Auckland Art Gallery, the Edge and the Museum of Transport and Technology (Motat).