Aucklanders like to moan about the city's transport and a new report suggests their gripes may be justified.



In a comparison with 13 international cities similar in size or density, Auckland's public transport was revealed to be expensive and poorly used.



The study, commissioned by the former Auckland Regional Council, will be presented to the Auckland Council's Transport Committee today.

Other cities surveyed included Wellington, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide; Vancouver, Edmonton, Ottawa and Calgary in Canada; and Honolulu, Portland and Seattle in the United States.



For overall service, value for money and reliability, Auckland buses were rated worse than any other city.



The city's ferry and train services were rated worse than Wellington.



Fare levels across the city's transport system were "around double" the average charge in Australian cities, and 50 per cent higher than the average fare in the US and Canadian cities.



An adult cash fare in Auckland starts at $1.80 for one stage but can reach $10.30 to travel the maximum eight stages.



Train fares range from $1.70 to $10.30 and ferry tickets will set patrons back at least $4.90 depending on where they are travelling.



The report noted Auckland was one of the few cities surveyed that did not have an integrated ticketing system across its transport network.



Earlier this year Auckland Transport launched the HOP card which can currently be used on selected bus lines but will be extended to ferry and train travel next year.



Users save at least 10 per cent on cash fares.



In terms of patronage, Auckland has the lowest rates of usage than any other city.



Our patronage rate was 25 to 40 per cent lower than Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide with which Auckland is often compared.



Over the past 15 years the percentage of Aucklanders travelling to the CBD by public transport has increased "significantly" but has declined slightly for trips to other destinations across the city.



The report recommended several ways to improve Auckland's public transport rating but said most of these were consistent with policies already implemented or proposed in the region.



These included increasing service frequencies, particularly in off-peak periods; improving weather protection and seating at bus stops, ferry terminals and train stations; real-time information for public transport timetables; and supporting on-road priorities for buses over general traffic.



Two further reports being presented today indicate despite Auckland's poor comparative performance, patronage and travel times in the city are improving.