Dogs of all sizes able to travel on Auckland trains from this Sunday

Brian from New Lynn

Today's announcement is the second phase of AT's pets on trains trial, following the first phase roll out in June. While dogs no longer have to fit inside a carrier to ride the train, there are still some conditions. AT requires them to be wearing appropriate muzzles and leashes, and pets can only travel outside of peak times. Cats and other domestic animals will still have to travel in carriers. Stacey van der Putten, group manager of Metro Services says the trial has gone well. “We’ve had a great response from our customers since the trial started in June. We’ve worked closely with our staff and our operator Transdev to move into this next stage. “This is another step in making public transport more accessible. There are many Aucklanders who may not have access to a vehicle to take their pet to the vet or to explore our city, this will potentially benefit both the owners and the pets.” Councillor Cathy Casey has advocated strongly for pets on trains. “I am very pleased that now all of Auckland’s 106,000 registered dogs can travel by train no matter how big or small they are." AT’s independent survey showed that 56 per cent of people supported having pets on trains while 12 per cent were against it. This next phase of the trial will run until the end of March next year.
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