Public transportation users in Auckland, New Zealand, will be able to pay their bus, train and ferry fares using a contactless debit/credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay “within the next 12 months”, the city’s transport authority has announced. 

“The changes will apply to full fare paying adults. Those wanting to access concession discounts such as Tertiary and SuperGold will still need to use their HOP card as normal,” Auckland Transport (AT) says.

The NZ$23m (US$14.26m) project is predicted to increase public transport passenger numbers by between two and three million trips per year and is the latest in a range of initiatives AT is introducing to make public transport an easier option for Aucklanders, visitors and tourists, its chief executive Dean Kimpton says.

“This change is going to make public transport more appealing for more people including tourists, visitors, casual users, and first-time users,” he explained.

“I see these improvements, which will come in next year, helping to push us past 100m public transport trips per year in 2024 and that is huge. The more people catching public transport, the less emissions, the less traffic, and the easier and safer it is for us to move around our city.”

“You won’t need to stress about buying a HOP card, topping it up or forgetting it,” he added. “You can just tag on with what you already have in your pocket like in London, New York or Sydney.”

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