National advocates transport changes

National proposes new regional transport authorities in Wellington and Christchurch, to encourage public transport authorities to partner with ride-sharing companies, and to accelerate integrated ticketing.

“The great modern cities of the world all have multi-modal transport systems where public transport, walking, cycling, and increasingly scootering are valued parts of everyday life,” National’s transport spokesperson Chris Bishop says in releasing the party’s transport and infrastructure discussion document.

“We spent $2 billion from 2008 to 2017, helping lift public transport use to record highs. We also invested more than $2.5 billion to electrify the Auckland and Wellington rail networks, and get the City Rail Link underway.

“We believe public transport governance is too fragmented in this country, with opaque accountability and no clear delineation of which agency is responsible for each part of the network. This is diluting the quality of service for commuters.”

Bishop says the new Wellington bus network has been “a disaster” with the regional council, city council and NZ Transport Agency “blaming each other for the fiasco rather than doing something about it”.

Bishop says new regional transport authorities in Wellington and Canterbury will have sole-charge over public transport, as well as cycling, parking and roading.

He says ride-sharing has a role in decongesting cities and solving first and last mile issues.

National proposes road user charges for all vehicles and a return to its Roads of National Significance programme with the addition of Roads of Regional Significance, and it opposes blanket speed restrictions such as those suggested for all highways.

The party also suggests a return to a Safer Roads and Roadsides programme (median barriers, wider road shoulders, etc), and more fixed speed cameras in high-risk areas but fewer random cameras.

“Revenue-neutral” congestion charging is proposed for New Zealand’s main cities, while National favours electric scooter use with “sensible regulation”.

It also proposes an Auckland Performance Auditor to ensure council-controlled organisations such as Auckland Transport are accountable.

The discussion document says National believes the “simple economics” of EVs will see Kiwis switching to them in increasing numbers. Rejecting the Government’s “complicated ‘feebate’ scheme”, National says the Government does, however, have a role to play in accelerating the EV charging network. It also aims to investigate a “practical” fuel efficiency standard.

Drones and ports are also covered.

Click here for National’s discussion documents.