All “Public transport” topics

The Ministry of Transport has launched a new report, the Transport Network Performance Report, providing a comprehensive picture of how Aotearoa New Zealand’s air, road, rail, port and public transport networks are performing at a national level.

With walking and cycling funding halved in the government’s recently released National Land Transport Programme1, and a weaker transport emissions reduction plan, the potential health benefits of a low-carbon transport system have hit a real speed bump.

In September 2024, industry peak body the Public Transport Association Australia New Zealand (PTAANZ) and global strategy consultancy L.E.K. Consulting released a report that takes a deep dive into how the Covid pandemic changed the way we travel around our cities and towns in Australia and New Zealand.

Abley Technical Director Andrew Couch responds to concerns made by Ian Wallis in the previous issue, citing all public transport modes face the same challenges concerning patrons transferring between services. Dr Couch believes cable cars are not being assessed on a consistent basis with other transport options in New Zealand.

In early 2022, some residents approached the University of Canterbury concerned about their future transport options. As part of a community-engaged course, a group of students surveyed residents about their transportation requirements. They concluded that as people’s health declined, residents would increasingly use some form of shared or public transport. However, further work was needed to understand more about these options.

Doppelmayr New Zealand has taken the next step in its ambition to enter New Zealand’s public transport market through the release of its Urban Transport Solutions Report, which makes the case for urban cable car solutions in Aotearoa. The Report shares the findings of an independent strategic level analysis by transport planning and engineering specialists Abley, which identified 20 locations around the country where there is a case for an urban aerial cable car.

The Abley report is (to the best of our knowledge) the first-ever comprehensive attempt to assess the scope, at a pre-feasibility level, for cable cars as a mode of public transport in NZ’s main urban areas

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown answers Logistics & Transport NZ’s questions.

Murray King talks to Peter Reidy, back at KiwiRail since August 2022 as CEO, to find out what’s coming down the line for the company.

The City Rail Link is now past the halfway mark and has achieved some significant milestones this year. Catch up with Dr Sean Sweeney as he summarises achievements to date, which include completing the final of four tunnel breakthroughs at Te Waihorotiu Station in Auckland.

Transport Minister Hon Michael Wood has announced new rules that could allow councils to own their public transport. The new transport plan involves the Government dropping the current Public Transport Operating Model (PTOM) and replacing it with a Sustainable Public Transport Framework, and the Land Transport Management Act will also be amended.

Light rail (trams), traditional “heavy” rail, cycling, walking, and cars are the main focus of current New Zealand debates about urban transport. But our main form of public transport is buses. They tend to be taken for granted or even looked down on, but they have more going for them than is commonly thought.

James Paul speaks with distinguished professor Paul Spoonley about his views on Kiwis’ daily movements following the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.

The role of transport services has changed in both small and significant ways since the arrival of COVID-19. In 2021 and beyond, prioritising ‘User Centricity’ in transport services, especially in passenger transport, is becoming a means to aid the economic, social and cultural recovery of cities from the detrimental effects of the COVID Pandemic.

The Public Transport Operating Model (PTOM) was envisaged as a collaborative opportunity for councils and bus operators throughout the country to plan, procure, and deliver a near perfect network service. In reality it has been a headache for many, in some cases leading to a decline in working conditions and a decrease in commerciality.