What now for Whangārei public buses in the wake of the Government's new sustainable public transport plan. Photo / Michael Cunningham
What now for Whangārei public buses in the wake of the Government's new sustainable public transport plan. Photo / Michael Cunningham
The Government should buy 10,000 electric and hydrogen buses to support its public transport sustainability goals, a Northland sector veteran says.
Whangārei's Gavin Roberts, who owns Whangārei Passenger Services with wife Shona, welcomed the Government's emissions reduction plans, account this week, but said funding was key to making it work.
Transport Minister Michael Wood said the new public transport model "will prioritise fair and equitable treatment of employees, mode-shift and improved environment and health outcomes".
Roberts said a new hydrogen or electric bus would cost between $600,000 and $700,000. but bulk purchasing by the Government would reduce the cost. Diesel buses cost $350,000 to $400,000.
He said adequate government funding also included making sure there was enough to support Northland Regional Council (NRC), and its counterparts around New Zealand, in choosing the best public service bus contract providers.
Roberts said New Zealand's current public bus service transport regime had for some time favoured big operators, who could make cost savings.
"But the outcome, as evidenced in the main centres throughout New Zealand, has resulted in a lack of wage increase for drivers leading to an exodus from the profession," Roberts said.
He said drivers' pay and working conditions should be the foremost consideration.
Transport Minister Michael Wood this week announced a new public transport model. Photo / Georgina Campbell
Meanwhile, Wood said workers and public transport users were at the heart of the framework.
"For too long, the public transport model has encouraged operators to squeeze worker conditions, pay and opportunities, preventing public transport from living up to its full potential," the minister said.
"The current model that was meant to lead to better public transport is causing operators to wind back services and timetables because they can't get drivers.
"Public transport is too important to our environmental, social and economic goals to allow this to continue."
Wood said the framework allowed councils to own public transport services.
"Public transport authorities will have the option to own assets and operate services, if they feel that's a better solution for their community than outsourcing to an outside provider.
"This will make it easier to plan networks and services, to set fares and policies, and encourage innovation in how services are delivered."
Northland's biggest public bus contract operator is keeping a low profile about the future of its $16 million-plus Whangārei services in the face of the new plan.
American-owned Ritchies Transport operates the nine-year almost $1.8 million per annum Whangārei public bus contract. It is one of New Zealand's largest transport providers with more than 1600 vehicles, 1800 staff and 42 depots across the country.
A spokesperson said the company looked forward to receiving more information about the framework and would not comment further.
Council group manager of community resilience, Victoria Harwood, said the new framework's final version was not yet available so the council could not yet comment on its implications.
Roberts said the council's choices were to own and operate a passenger fleet on its own or to change to a public/private partnership, selecting the best operator to achieve desired outcomes. Its third choice was to continue as it had been, but to thoroughly and realistically do due diligence in assessing tenders, with lowest-cost tenders not necessarily selected.
"We would like to believe Northland's elected councils will focus on what is best for the community and the services provided or planned for in the future, and not focus on 'the cheapest price' without intensive due diligence," Roberts said.
But should services become council-owned, it would be a backward step for the council of the day to withdraw all council-subsidised services under the misguided notion that "user-pays" would pay for city bus services, he said.
This had happened in Whangārei in the early 90s.
"We would hope there is a mechanism within the [framework] to prevent such draconian action that compromised community wellbeing in that era," Roberts said.
The Roberts' public bus transport involvement includes running the service in a public/private partnership using buses owned by then Whangārei City Council.
They have also run Whangārei's public bus service using buses their company owned and operated to specified NRC standards.
■ Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
