Bus fare changes for under 25s
On 30 April 2024, free bus travel for children aged 5 to 12 and half-price fares for passengers aged 13 to 24 will end. This includes travel on Council-run school bus services. This change is in line with the government’s decision to withdraw funding for these concessions. All other concessions remain unchanged.
Concession information is loaded directly onto your Bee Card. This means that when you tag on and off the bus, you’ll automatically be charged the correct, discounted fare.
If you have a question that isn't addressed on this page, contact the TRC Transport team at transport@trc.govt.nz or by private message on Facebook @taranakipublictransport.
If you would like to speak to someone you can contact the team on 0800 BEE TRC (0800 233 872) (8am - 5pm weekdays only).
What concession and discounts are available?
The Taranaki region offers the following concessions (applied to your Bee Card) from 1 July 2023 - 30 April 2024 on all Taranaki Regional Council Operated bus Services – including the Connector, Citylink Urban and School services, and all Southlink Services - Ōpunake to New Plymouth, Ōpunake to Hawera and Waverley to Hawera. Please note that child and youth concessions will no longer apply from Wednesday 1 May 2024.
| Concession Type | Passenger Category | Fare |
| Infant | Under 5 | Free at all times. No Bee Card required. |
| Child | 5-12 years | Free at all times with registered Bee Card. |
| Youth | 13-24 years | Half price fare at all times with registered Bee Card. |
| WITT | WITT Student ID required | Free at all times. No Bee Card required. |
| SuperGold | SuperGold Card holder | Free between 9am- 3pm with registered Bee Card. |
| Community Connect | Community Services Card holder | Half price fare at all times with registered Bee Card. |
Infant
Available to children aged up to 5 years old, free travel at all times without a Bee Card.
Child
Available to children aged 5 to 12 years old, free travel at all times with a registered Bee Card.
When you purchase a Bee Card online (card costs $5) you can assign the name and DOB of the card user before adding it to your online shopping cart. This will ensure the correct child concession is applied. This concession will no longer apply from Wednesday 1 May 2024.
The easiest way to do this is on the Bee Card website(external link), or you can call 0800 BEE TRC (0800 233 872) or visit one of our local retailers.
Youth
Available to children aged 13 to 24 years old, gives you 50% discount on full-priced fares with a registered Bee Card.
When you purchase a Bee Card online (card costs $5) you can assign the name and DOB of the card user before adding it to your online shopping cart. This will ensure the correct youth concession is applied. This concession will no longer apply from Wednesday 1 May 2024.
The easiest way to do this is on the Bee Card website(external link), or you can call 0800 BEE TRC (0800 233 872) or visit one of our local retailers.
WITT Students
Available to WITT students with a valid student ID, free travel at all times. For more information please visit here.
SuperGold
Available to SuperGold Card holders, gives you free travel between 9am-3pm with a registered Bee Card. For more information please visit here.
Community Connect
Available to Community Services card holders, gives you 50% discount on full-priced fares with a registered Bee Card. For more information please visit here.
Do these concessions apply to cash fares?
No. The above concessions only apply when paying with a pre-loaded, registered Bee Card. Paying with cash will result in the full-priced cash fare being charged.
Does this apply to Total Mobility? Is there a new concession?
From Friday 1 April 2022, Total Mobility trips will be a further 50% off the usual subsidised fare. Therefore Total Mobility customers now get a 75% discount on their one-way subsidised taxi fare.
Taranaki has a $40 cap per trip, so the maximum contribution TRC provides per one way trip is currently $30.
For example:
| Total taxi fare | Customer pays | TRC pays |
| $20 | $5 | $15 |
| $30 | $7.50 | $22.50 |
| $40 | $10 | $30 (max. subsidy reached) |
| $50 | $20 | $30 (max. subsidy reached) |
| $60 | $30 | $30 (max. subsidy reached) |
| $70 | $40 | $30 (max. subsidy reached) |
For more on Total Mobility please visit here.
What happens if I am overcharged?
If you believe your Bee Card has been overcharged please check your TAG ON and TAG OFF transactions in your online Bee Card account. Bee Cards that are not tagged off correctly WILL incur a non-refundable default cash fare. If you notice other unusual charges on your account please email the Transport team at transport@trc.govt.nz or phone the Bee team on 0800 BEE TRC (0800 233 872).
Why could you just not continue with the discounted fares after 30 June 2023 for everyone?
From 1 April 2022 to 30 June 2023 fare discounts were financially supported by the Government as a result of rising fuel costs. From 1 July 2023 until 31 April 2024 those fare discounts applied to youth under 21, children under 12 years and those with a Community Services Card. From Wednesday 1 May 2024 the child and youth concessions will no longer apply and these fares will return to full price. Should Central Government funding be extended, our fares will be reviewed.