By Tony Field
It's not just Auckland's public transport users who are tired of the delays to plans for integrated ticketing.
Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee has also lost patience, saying it has taken too long.
There are predictions one of the technology providers, Snapper, is about to be thrown overboard.
It has been almost three years since the plans were unveiled for integrated ticketing on Auckland's public transport system. But there has been delay after delay, and even the politicians can't get a straight answer why.
“To think that we as humankind can put the Curiosity rover on Mars and yet we can't supposedly deliver one card that can be used for buses, trains and ferries in Auckland just shows how ridiculous this has got,” says Auckland councillor Cameron Brewer.
French company Thales won the technology contract ahead of Snapper, whose cards are used on Wellington buses.
But transport officials later agreed Snapper could install its card readers on around 650 buses operated by Snapper's sister company NZ Bus, on the condition its technology was made compatible with the rest of the HOP network.
It's called HOP because the idea was that you could use one of the cards to hop on and hop off any bus, train or harbour ferry in Auckland.
But that hasn't happened and patience with Snapper is running out.
“What I want to see is us getting to a point where the integrated ticket works,” says Mr Brownlee.
Auckland Transport officials have spent another day negotiating with Snapper. Labour MP Phil Twyford predicts that will see Snapper leave.
“Snapper are going to withdraw from the integrated ticketing project,” he says. “That's my understanding. And they are negotiating some kind of cash settlement from the Auckland ratepayer to Snapper.”
Sources tell 3 News that could be $5 million plus the cost of replacing the card readers on 650 Auckland buses.
3 News