Just put the bloody price up!

Ministry of Transport report estimates the cost of the subsidy needed at about $250,000 per annum

It calculates that the subsidy of $250,000 per year equated to just $3 per passenger per trip if spread over the 160 passengers who catch the train from north of Waikanae.

Lees-Galloway said this made subsidising the service a no-brainer

Hey Mr MP - here's something for you to consider.  If it's so cheap, instead your default of me being taxed more, adding it to my already extortionate rates, just charge the 160 users another $3 each per trip.   It's not much extra and you'll not have to tax your underworked brain about the subsidy in the future.

Full user pays saves you wasting my council's time and the non-subsidised users will know the real cost of living miles from their work.

I fail to see why I should be subsidising some Labour voting public servants who have obviously made doubtful life choices to travel 300Km or so a day on my dime to work in Wellytown and live in Palmy.