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Public transport

Public passenger transport offers an alternative means of transport for those who do not drive a car, because of age, disability, income or inclination.

Some advantages of using public transport over driving include:

  • potentially lower costs than driving (particularly if parking and the fixed costs of operating a vehicle are factored in)
  • a lower risk of being involved in a traffic crash
  • being able to relax (such as by reading a book)
  • the potential for enriching social contact.

Benefits to the environment include:

  • less pollution and energy use
  • less need to occupy and pave land for roading and parking spaces.

Unfortunately, public transport use in New Zealand is low. Only 2.2 percent of all trips are made by bus, and 0.25% by rail, mostly in Wellington. Ferries also operate in the Auckland and Wellington areas.

Public transport is more likely to be used if:

  • the services are frequent and reliable
  • it is convenient, comfortable and safe
  • the time it takes to arrive at the destination is comparable to using a private vehicle.

Regional council role

Regional councils are responsible for encouraging greater public transport use. Transfund allocates some funds to regional councils for public transport subsidies. The Government, in its transport package of February 2002, announced that more money would be available for public transport. Some regional councils subsidise public transport through rates.

City and district councils can encourage greater public transport use through providing infrastructure, such as bus shelters, interchanges, or commuter car parks, or by initiatives that give buses a higher priority than other traffic, such as priority traffic signalling or bus lanes. These measures are designed to improve the timeliness and reliability of public transport services.

In New Zealand, bus priority measures operate in Auckland City, Wellington City and North Shore City. For more information refer to:

Public transport complements other transport modes. All public transport users are also pedestrians at some stage of their journey. Park-and-ride is also popular – commuters travel to the train station or bus stop by car and park there. Cycle stands or lockers may be provided, and in some cases cycles can be carried.

Public transport timetables

Last updated: 19 March 2009