Pets are now permanently welcome on Auckland’s public transport.
Auckland Transport (AT) says the move follows the success of two previous trials allowing small domestic pets in carriers and large dogs with muzzles and leads on buses.
The announcement means household pets can now travel on buses, trains, and ferries in Auckland.
Councillor Josephine Bartley says she’s looking forward to seeing more pets on public transport across the city.
“My dog Milo and I love travelling on public transport together.
“This news is really positive and I’m excited to see Aucklanders making the most of it.
“I’m passionate about reducing barriers to access, so making public transport pet-friendly means more people will be able to live their best lives with their furry friends.
“Up until now the rules around pets on public transport have forced many pet owners to rely on cars for essential trips to the vet or the groomers, but now they can use buses, trains and ferries throughout Auckland.”
AT’s improvement delivery lead, Luke Clarke, says the agency received valuable feedback during the two pets-on-buses trials.
“We’ve used this feedback from our customers, bus operators, and accessibility groups to make this final decision and set the terms and conditions for pets onboard our services.
“Those of us with pets know how important our animals are as part of the family, and now the whole family are welcome to travel on Auckland’s buses, trains and ferries.
“It seems many of our customers also view this announcement as Auckland catching up with other pet-friendly cities around the world, where pets are a regular sight onboard the tube, subway or metro.
“No matter how old your pets are in dog years or cat years, they’ll all be able to travel for free onboard our services, with no need to apply for a Su-paw Gold Card.”
There are a few rules for taking pets onboard.
They must travel outside of peak hours and bigger dogs must wear a cage-type muzzle and a lead if they don’t fit into an approved carrier.
Service and assistance dogs are allowed on all services at all times and don’t require a muzzle.
