Integrated ticketing, Fullers-style

As flagged for a while by Fullers, now Waiheke and Half Moon Bay monthly ferry pass holders can use the Howick & Eastern Bus services too. Fullers sale by Infratil to Souter Holdings, owners of the H&E Bus company, last April made this an easy thing to do.

Press release:

Fullers Group Ltd announces a new customer benefit for Waiheke Island and Half Moon Bay commuters. From Tuesday 1st December, the Fullers monthly pass for Waiheke Island and Half Moon Bay will include an additional benefit of being able to travel on all Howick & Eastern Bus services without having to purchase another ticket.
The Waiheke Island and Half Moon Bay monthly passes can be used for travel across all Howick and Eastern routes and services at any time. Customers simply need to show their current Fullers monthly pass to the bus driver to so that the journey is recorded and Howick & Eastern can charge the journey back to Fullers.
This initiative is symbolic of Fullers drive towards an integrated fare structure. It is hoped that the benefit will open up a wider opportunity for commuters in the Half Moon Bay area who will now be able to more easily combine bus and ferry travel to and from the city without the requirement for separate tickets.
Waiheke commuters are currently able to use their monthly pass on all Waiheke Island and NZ Bus services and now have the advantage of being able to travel to onward destinations around Auckland served by Howick and Eastern buses.
Douglas Hudson, CEO, Fullers Group says, “Fullers is pleased to be able to offer another product which demonstrates our commitment to integrated ticketing. For many years we have been offering the Go Rider pass which can be used on North Shore – Downtown ferries and NZ Bus services in the Auckland region and we have now seized the opportunity to develop another product which will benefit our Waiheke Island and Half Moon Bay customers."

How much Waiheke pass holders will use this extra service is questionable because if you worked in East Auckland, you take the Kennedy Point ferry to Half Moon Bay instead of having to come into town first to then trek all the way east on the big brown bus.
It'd be far more relevant if passes were valid on Ritchies instead. (Rumour has it that Infatil is looking at selling NZ Bus, with Ritchies a prime candidate to take it over)

NZ Bus refunds

The NZ Bus lock out last month has resulted in a refund offer from the company to season ticket holders.
Since Fullers Ferries monthly passes include an all-zone monthly bus pass, Waiheke Islanders can apply too. Just fill in your monthly pass number.
If they refuse, email them that Fullers CEO Doug Hudson his company pays NZ Bus for Fullers monthly pass holders using NZ Buses in the city and are thus deserving of a refund like their other customers.

UPDATE 21 November: I got my $25 refund in the bank. Which values the Fullers monthly pass at about $100 a month. Considering it allows travel the equivalent of an All-Zone NZ Bus pass (at $175) Fullers gets a substantial discount on NZ Bus fares.

Integrated ticketing, funding approved

Via Auckland Transport blog:

Funding approved today for Auckland’s integrated ticketing system

The Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) says it is delighted the New Zealand Transport Agency Board (NZTA) has approved funding today to move forward on the development of an integrated ticketing and fares system for Auckland’s train, bus and ferry users.
ARTA’s Chairman, Rabin Rabindran says, “ARTA is delighted with this news which means we can now move to finalise contract negotiations with our preferred tenderer, a consortium made up of French electronics company, Thales, in partnership with the Bank of New Zealand and Transfield services.
“This is a critical and long awaited next step for Auckland’s public transport system doing away with a multiplicity of ticket options and opening the door to greater ease of use for our customers with a single ticket.
“For ARTA an integrated ticket is a pivotal investment in the future development of Auckland as a city which ultimately wants to stand on the international stage as having world-class levels of transport in all respects.
“The next step in the process is for ARTA to negotiate the terms of the contract with its preferred tenderer. Once the contract is signed and commercial negotiations finalised, we will be able to provide more details. We expect this to be in the coming month.”
Mr Rabindran says, “We look forward to assisting NZTA as they develop a national integrated ticketing system to benefit public transport users throughout New Zealand through our delivery of an integrated ticket for Aucklanders”.

We will have to make sure that Waiheke Island's transport is included in the system, and at equitable rate as other Aucklanders living the same distance from the CBD.