Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has unveiled a proposal for nearly $20 billion in council funding to enhance the city’s public transport system in the next Long Term Plan.
Brown aims to make public transport ‘better, faster, cheaper’ by capping weekly fares, investing in dynamic lanes with adjustable directions, and allocating funds for railway track maintenance and level crossing removals. Additionally, his plan includes measures to prevent bus route cuts and to install security screens for bus drivers to protect them from unruly passengers.
The proposal allocates $5.8 billion to Auckland Transport for operating expenses over the next decade and $14 billion for capital investments. Brown emphasised that his final proposal is based on feedback from public consultations.
‘I’m listening to Aucklanders who asked for more spending on public transport,’ Brown said, reported in legacy media.
‘It’s time we got on with making buses fast and reliable. That will ensure a smooth transition to time-of-use charging [tolls or congestion charges], which is needed to decongest our roads.’
Brown described dynamic lanes, track maintenance, and continuous bus service funding as ‘low-cost initiatives’ aimed at improving public transport. Around $600 million would be directed towards dynamic lanes and minor capital projects to enhance bus speeds.
On the issue of bus driver safety, Brown criticised the slow rollout of protective security screens, pledging to expedite the process significantly. ‘Without this funding, it would take up to 10 years to ensure that every bus driver is protected by a security screen. That is unacceptable, and under my proposal, we’ll cover 80 percent of buses within two years,’ he said, proposing $6.5 million for this initiative.
Gary Froggatt, president of the Auckland Tramways Union supported the proposal, hoping it would be implemented.
In terms of rail infrastructure, Brown’s proposal includes the removal of four level crossings in Takanini, a step he deems essential for maximizing the benefits of the City Rail Link in central Auckland. He also stressed the need for additional level crossing removals to further improve the rail network.
Good luck with that then. Feedback from marxists and school children isn’t good representation and I think you will ultimately find that the mass majority don’t like sharing.
“That will ensure a smooth transition to time-of-use charging [tolls or congestion charges], which is needed to decongest our roads…”
Imagine being dumb enough to actually believe this 😒
Fining us for driving on the roads we already pay for will apparently make us no longer need cars. It’ll “ease” congestion.
Roads. Roads, Wayne. WE NEED MORE ROADS. That’s all that will ease congestion. Not buses or rail links or cycle ways or any other such nonsense. People use cars. People WANT cars, doesn’t matter how much you politicians all hate that. A car is superior to a train or a bicycle or a bus (which is just another big car except I have to share it with a bunch of strangers).
What’s the point of you even holding that office if all you’re going to do is plug the same unpopular garbage Phil Goff did?
All this is to prepare us for the future where the un, wef, and others have already told us they don’t want us owning our own cars.