More free travel offered to SuperGold cardholders

Bay of Plenty's SuperGold Card bus users will have extended free travel from August 19.

Eligible cardholders, aged 65 and over, will have free bus travel on the regional network from 9am on weekdays, and all day at the weekends.

Currently, SuperGold cards allow free bus travel between the hours of 9am and 3pm and after 6.30pm on weekdays, and all day at weekends.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council reviewed the hours following requests from the community and the change was adopted as part of Regional Council's Annual Plan 2019/20.

General manager of strategy and science Namouta Poutasi said the changes would allow SuperGold Card bus users to travel at no cost throughout the day, except for in the early morning commuter peak.

"By extending the hours we believe there will be little or no impact on existing bus users," Poutasi said.

The monthly average for SuperGold boardings across the region this year has been 35,800, or just under 1200 per day.

Transport policy manager Garry Maloney presented a review to a meeting of Bay of Plenty's public transport officials on May 10 after feedback earlier in the year that seniors wanted to access free bus travel after 3pm on weekdays, the same as their Auckland counterparts.