New Zealand Transport Agency/Waka Kotahi (NZTA) announced early 2024, after significant consultation and consideration, the brand name ‘Motu Move’ as the public facing brand of the National Ticketing Solution (NTS).
The NTS is a partnership between the Agency and 13 regional Public Transport Authorities.
The brand will be used in customer communications alongside the local Public Transport brands and it is not expected to replace those brands (Metro, Metlink, AT and smaller regional brands). The detail of how the Motu Move brand and services are introduced and used in each region may vary.
Motu Move is about payments and ticketing, with those regional brands continuing to provide the public transport services once the NTS is rolled out. In addition to local public transport services and channels, customers have access to an NTS provided Motu Move website and app, a Motu Move contact centre and a new Motu Move prepaid card.
Implementation of Motu Move was in Canterbury December 2024, as payment system, is being rolled out region by region, will deliver new, consistent ways to pay for public transport across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Customers will be able to pay for public transport using contactless payments including debit or credit cards, mobile phones and smart watches, as well as the new prepaid card and tickets.
The new payment options will remove barriers to public transport use for those who don’t currently carry a prepaid card or who travel in different regions. Providing easier payment options will encourage people to use public transport more, which will help reduce road congestion.
A national system means we can provide better technology at a lower cost than would be possible with the current regional systems. The technology used will help us to better understand patterns of public transport use so we can continue to improve the services offered and enable easier transport choices for New Zealanders.
Motu Move was offically launched in Christchurch on 23 September 2026 by the Minister of Transport and at the same time, the Motu Move payment card for concession fares (Child, disability, Community Service and SuperGold cardholder's) went on sale.
The planned national rollouts for Motu Move are:
- Q4 2026 - Invercargill
- Q1 2027 - Bay of Plenty and Taranaki regions
- Q2 2027 - Greater Wellington region
- Q3 2027 - Otago, Hawkes Bay, Manawatu/Whanganui, Nelson/Tasman regions
- Q4 2027 - Gisborne, Northland, Waikato and Auckland regions
For information concerning Motu Move: motumove.govt.nz
For other information relating to 'Motu Move' national payment system:
- Its time for a national public transport network
- Time for a National Public Transport Agency
- CityConnect - inter-regional public transport network
- National Public Transport Strategy
- Time for a new regional passenger rail network
