7 July 2004

Statement from David Thornton

Public Transport Figures Reveal Failure Of ARC's Rail Policy To Reduce Peak Hour Congestion

Figures released today by the ARC reveal that the total number of people travelling into the Auckland CBD by public transport in the morning peak hours [7am - 9am] has in fact declined over the last twelve months. Despite extravagant claims by ARC Transport Chairwoman Catherine Harland that rail usage was on the increase the real truth is that, while peak hour passenger numbers on rail have increased by 844 passengers per day, bus passengers have dropped by 1,288 per day for the same period.

It is now apparent that rail is attracting passengers who previously travelled by bus - and that has had no effect on the number of cars on the road in the morning peak, and consequently no effect on traffic congestion - despite millions of dollars having been spent on rail improvements, largely paid for by the regions residential ratepayers.

Spending even more money on rail will not reduce congestion at the critical peak period time if all the 'new' passengers have merely changed from using buses. The ARC must review its policy of spending huge sums on the rail project at the expense of much-needed major improvements to bus services.

It's time that the transport overlords realised that Auckland's public transport system must be dominated by a flexible bus network rather than the rigid fixed route structure of heavy rail.

ends

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>