But it appears the ORC may consider the idea.
The Dunedin City Council indicated this week it wanted to work with the ORC to develop alternative ways to fund the city’s bus system.
City councillors voted for a resolution to develop options to offset bus fares, including funding through rates collected by the city council, and parking charges.
Since 2017, public transport in Queenstown has been funded by the Otago Regional Council, Queenstown Lakes District Council and NZ Transport Agency, and costs commuters $2 a ride across all zones.
The proposal will be part of DCC public consultation on the annual plan in March and April.
At a finance and corporate committee on Thursday, ORC deputy chairwoman Gretchen Robertson noted the matter had been raised and the council would be asked to consider it.
"In the light of Queenstown it’s an obvious question, and something we’re going to have to discuss."
She said it was not something to be done lightly, and may not be warranted, but it needed to be considered.
But Cr Michael Deaker questioned the need for a restructure.
He had taken a two-section bus ride to the meeting at a cost of $2.56.
"I’m not sure what the issue is," he said.
"It is very cheap."
Council chairman Stephen Woodhead said the Queenstown fare was for GoCard holders, and others paid up to $10 for a trip to the airport.
He said the average Dunedin fare was $2.35, less than the average fare in Queenstown.
Cr Trevor Kempton noted a report to the meeting said patronage in Dunedin was up.
The report said both fare revenue and patronage were rising, 10% and 11% respectively in the first half of last financial year to December, compared with the year before.
However, Cr Robertson said yesterday there was a growing call for a simpler, flatter fare, and "the time has come for ORC to look at the fare structure in Dunedin". In Queenstown there had been a 149% increase in passengers.
"It’s been an outstanding result.
"It’s only natural that Dunedinites are looking at the Queenstown model and asking whether a flat fare will work in Dunedin.
"We’d need to ask the community whether they thought a new fare system made sense and how we paid for it, but we should do the modelling and have the conversation."
