Source: Radio New Zealand
The first stage of the $1.4 billion National Ticketing has been launched in Christchurch. (File photo) RNZ / Nate McKinnon
It was “probably a mistake” to try and build every public transport concession into the $1.4 billion National Ticketing System project, the Transport Minister says.
Chris Bishop told Morning Report, the system which would allow people to pay for public transport with their phone or card anywhere across the country, would likely be up and running by the end of 2027.
The system was first signed off by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA), in 2009.
Bishop said the idea for the system was created as many of the systems used by each region were coming to the end of their lives.
He said the government at the time could have either funded the individual upgrades or built a national system that had one backend for all public transport systems.
“The mistake was trying to build every concession into the system as well,” Bishop said.
He said this was “probably a mistake”.
“That is the short reason why is it has taken so long as it is different for every single council.”
Bishop said the system would likely be up and running for the entire country by the end of 2027.
It was already running in Christchurch.
Public transport usage had seen a notable spike in the last month as commuters reacted to the cost of filling up their vehicles.
US transport-defence contractor Cubic had been delivering the project under a near-$500m contract, but it had previously had capacity problems and missed deadlines.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
