Yesterday’s announcement by Finance Minister Grant Robertson that the Government will axe half-price fares for public transport in an election year certainly seems odd. Axing a popular and effective policy On the surface, this announcement is madness – especially the decision to effectively double the price of public transport. The issue nicely dovetailed with Labour’s intention to transform public transport, helping combat the climate change crisis. The public transport initiative was extremely popular, with an overwhelming majority of the public wanting it extended, not axed. In fact, there’s a strong case for actually getting rid of fares entirely, making public transport free.
