14 December 2010

Embargoed until 12:01am, Tuesday 14 December 2010

IBM survey says commuters want green transport

Yet another survey shows that New Zealanders want and need better transport options, said the Green Party today.

IBM undertook a commuter pain survey in October 2010, which interviewed over 900 commuters in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. It found that widening existing roads and building new ones would not fix our transport woes, and that commuting costs and stress could be significantly reduced by investing in better public transport.

“The findings of this survey are consistent with other research from New Zealand and overseas that shows the future trend in transportation will be increasing levels of walking, cycling, trains and buses,” said Green Party Transport spokesperson Gareth Hughes.

“It shows once again that this Government is completely out of step with the transport needs of the country.”

Mr Hughes said the survey found over half of Auckland commuters (51%) thought improving public transport would reduce their commute stress.

“The reason we are so dependent on cars as a nation is not because New Zealanders don’t want to walk, cycle or take good quality public transport, it is because successive governments have reduced transport options through poor policy.

“And this Government is the worst. They have cut funding in every transport area except new state highways.

“How can we offer people better options in the future by spending all our money on new motorways? That has never worked to decrease congestion in the past, and it won’t in the future.”

Mr Hughes said that wide support for the CBD Rail Loop in Auckland following the release of the business case several weeks ago meant the Government should make it a priority.

“Transport Minister Steven Joyce is blindly determined to do things as we always have, wasting billions building new, expensive and unnecessary motorways like the Puhoi to Wellsford Holiday Highway and the Waikato Expressway,” said Mr Hughes.

“For the price of one four lane motorway, we could have the CBD rail loop, which will reduce congestion by moving more people into and through the city at peak hour, and will attract business and residents to the heart of the city.

“We welcome this report and urge the Government to heed its findings and reprioritise transport spending. They can start by fast-tracking the CBD rail loop,” said Mr Hughes.

Link to Fast Track the CBD Rail Loop Petition:
http://www.greens.org.nz/superrail

ENDS

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