A discounted tertiary student bus fare to be trialled during Orientation Week next year could cost the Otago Regional Council about $15,000 but it will not mean an increase in rates, the council says.
It has been working with University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic student representatives on a way to get more students, seen as ''untapped patronage'', on buses.
It had been decided to run a two-month trial giving students a 25% discount on adult cash fares if using a Go Card, beginning at Orientation Week and ending in April.
Corporate services director Wayne Scott said while operators were supportive of the trial they wanted to be safeguarded against any loss in revenue. The council would cover any drop below an agreed benchmark from its transport reserves.
A rough estimate of the cost to the council of the trial could be about $10,000 to $15,000, he said.
Promotion of the service and specific operational requirements were to be finalised in the next few weeks.
Concessions were given to other sectors of society, such as older users and the disabled, he said.
At the end of the trial, it would be up to the bus operators if they continued with the discount, Mr Scott said.
Chairman Stephen Woodhead said to put the cost of the trial in perspective, the council's total transport spending was about $10 million.
Cr Michael Deaker said the move was exciting, given there were about 18,000 students in the city who were not regular bus users.
There was clear evidence those students did not live in such a concentrated area as they had in the past, which made public transport more relevant to them, he said.
If the trial enticed them to use buses, ''it has a real prospect of improving patronage figures.''
Cr Sam Neill said the trial was long overdue but there needed to be a massive programme to educate students on the services available.
Cr Bryan Scott said it was positive the council was giving this a go.
