Launch of New Technology Bus Service for
The Link

Britomart Complex
Auckland

1.30 pm

Friday 14 September 2007

Today’s launch of the new technology bus service for The Link celebrates another big step toward in improving public transport in Auckland.

Lloyd Morrison, Managing Director of Infratil, which operates NZ Bus, has described it as an “aspirational service”.

His vision is that this service will change the way bus passengers and fellow road users regard public transport; that they will see it as the preferred way to travel – reliable, fast, comfortable, value for money and much less harmful to the environment than using a car or taxi.

Lloyd’s vision for the service is in line with the government’s vision for public transport in Auckland.

Indeed having a world class transport system, within which public transport must play a much bigger role, is critical to consolidating Auckland’s status as a world class city.

Our Labour-led government has increased land transport investment in the Auckland region by 330 per cent since 1999. It’s up from about $230 million that year to almost $1 billion earmarked for this financial year.

That $1 billion includes $340 million to be spent on public transport this year.

Since 1999, the additional funding for public transport has helped lift patronage of it in Auckland by 36 per cent.

Trips on buses, trains and ferries increased from 38.6 million passenger journeys in 1999 to over 52.4 million in 2006/07.

Buses carry the majority of passengers in Auckland, and that’s why this big improvement in The Link service is so important.

On the North Shore even before completion of the busway, the new express bus services have already taken hundreds of cars off the motorway everyday.

This shows that people will leave their cars at home if attractive alternatives are provided. That not only frees up the roading network for freight and reduces congestion ; - as is vital in today’s day and age, it also helps us reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

Overall, bus services are more CO2 efficient than cars if they carry five or more people, while trains vary with most being fuel efficient at 30 passengers.

Average loadings on Auckland Regional Transport Authority services are currently around 100 passengers per train trip, and there is capacity for more. And with the planned electrification of Auckland’s rail network, better services are on the way.

The Auckland Regional Council reports that public transport vehicles cause only 3% of air pollution in Auckland.

The new Link buses will help reduce that even further. Compared to the old Link buses, these ones fresh from Designline in Ashburton will deliver significant reductions in exhaust emissions – seventy to ninety per cent lower than most current buses.

They are the first buses in New Zealand to meet the latest European Union emission standard, Euro 5. For that, congratulations are due all round.

I hope that this upgrade to the Link service will make more Aucklanders question the relative merits of car versus bus and make the switch to bus travel.

The government’s vision of a world-class city with an excellent transport system can only be achieved if others are willing to be part of this vision.

The launch of this bus service today demonstrates the commitment by Infratil and NZ Bus.

We have also heard today of the commitment of the Auckland Regional Transport Authority and Auckland City Council to improve public transport in the city.

The new Central Connector bus priority project is another example of planning for that.

It aims to improve the bus services between the south and the east of the city with Britomart. That will connect with The Link service.

The government has also made big commitments to Auckland’s rail network – and that links here at the Britomart with the Link bus service.

$600 million is committed for rail capital improvements here between 2006/07 to 2009/10 through ONTRACK.

ONTRACK has been double-tracking the western line, laying a new extension to Manukau City centre, reopening the Onehunga Line and improving Newmarket Station.

Trains are now running every fifteen minutes on the Western Link between Henderson and Britomart – bringing in passengers who can use the Link revamped bus service we are launching here today. And from March next year the service every fifteen minutes from the West to here will run all the way from Swanson.

We also announced in Budget 2007 our proposal to legislate for a regional fuel tax. It would enable regional councils to fund capital projects for transport which are a regional priority - and would otherwise not be funded or completed in the desired timeframe.

The legislation should be passed by April 2008. New legislation on public passenger transport procurement is also ready for introduction to Parliament.

All these new initiatives will lead to a better transport system for Auckland being in evidence by Rugby World Cup 2011, when Auckland will be on show to the world.

The Link service will then be seen by our international guests as we see it today – both world-class and the smartest way to move around downtown Auckland.

It gives me great pleasure to cut the ribbon, and launch this new technology bus service for The Link.

Ends

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