Zero-fare Services
Invercargill offered several zero-fare bus services in the first decade of the Century.
The Freebie was a zero-fare loop service in the inner city, The Purple Circle was a free suburban bus circuit, and all other suburban bus services operated zero-fare between 9:00 am and 2:30 pm daily. The Mayor of Invercargill, Tim Shadbolt told a conference of New Zealand's Disabled Persons Assembly in October 2002 that Invercargill had an innovative approach to public transport, and that he hoped in future that all buses in Invercargill would be free and accessible.
However, central government requirements (New Zealand Transport Agency) for regional authorities to aim for a 50% fare recovery from public transport lead to Invercargill's zero-fare services being discontinued, and new bus routes and timetables operated by BusSmart were introduced in December 2012. Senior citizens are still provided free off peak travel via the government's SuperGold Travel Scheme, and children up to Year 8 class at school also travel for free in the off peak period. Bussmart's new routes are Waikiwi Link,Windsor Comet,Hedelberg Star and Kew Connection
Read more about this topic: Public Transport In Invercargill
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