12,000 Bee Cards and counting as free card period nears an end
15/10/2020 11:53am
Nelson’s Bee Card honeymoon continues with 83% of journeys now paid for using the electronic travel card.
Nelsonians have embraced the Bee Card with more than 12,000 cards picked up, allowing bus passengers to pay for their ride more conveniently and making it easier to access the city’s cheapest bus fares.
Acting Group Manager Infrastructure Lois Plum says she is pleased with how well Nelson has adapted to the new card.
“It has made using our buses easier and faster. Not only have we introduced the card, but we have streamlined our zones, making it a cheaper and simpler way to travel for most of our passengers. Given the high uptake of the card, we expect more people to use NBus to get around our Smart Little City.”
Bee Cards are currently free from Council’s Customer Service Centre, the public libraries and bus depot, and $5 at BeeCard.co.nz. However, as advertised, the free card system will come to an end at the end of October.
As part of the new system, SuperGold Cards are required to be linked to a Bee Card for cardholders to get free travel at off peak times and reduced travel at peak times.
Once you have a registered Bee Card, you can link your SuperGold Card by going to BeeCard.co.nz, clicking on ‘Manage Card’ and then choosing SuperGold in the menu on the right hand side of the page.
During the introduction period Council has allowed SuperGold Card holders to get concessionary travel without a Bee Card. That will come to an end on 1 January 2021. From that point SuperGold Card holders will have to link their concession to a registered Bee Card.
This can be done on the BeeCard website, while help can be provided at Council’s Customer Service Centre or the libraries in Nelson, Stoke, or Richmond.“Our message to anyone who needs help, is to come and speak with our staff at the Customer Service Centre. We are more than happy to help someone register a card and link it to their SuperGold.”
