Govt puts millions to moving the public

By JASON COLLIE transport reporter

Public transport companies are being offered an extra $51 million in a major push to get more commuters out of their cars.

The Government move announced today is aimed at boosting the frequency and quality of bus, train and ferry services around the country. However, the offer is tied to increasing patronage.

Transport Minister Mark Gosche said in a pre-budget announcement that he was scrapping the ceiling for public transport funding in favour of paying companies for each kilometre a passenger travelled. They would receive a premium on top for peak times.

Ministry of Transport officials estimate this could mean an extra $51 million is paid out over the next three years, but only if passenger numbers increase.

The money would be available for improved routes already subsidised and commercially viable services which receive no funding.

Transfund paid $46 million last year to regional councils as the Government's share of running public transport. Auckland received about $21 million of that, allocated per route, with ratepayers putting in a further $26.5 million.

Transfund's cap of $400,000 capital funding for schemes that are alternatives to roads has also been lifted in a bid to stimulate interest - the sum was low compared with the cost of major projects.

However, alternative projects still face the hurdle of being judged against the benefits of a road. The Government plans law changes to get rid of such problems and give public transport its own funding pot separate from roading, Mr Gosche said.

"This is more of a shot in the arm to get public transport going, but it's not the final answer," he said. "We are heading to a longer-term approach with a more sensible way to fund public transport.

"A lot of the difficulty is that in the peak time transport is running to capacity and there are people left waiting for a bus because it goes past and it is full.

"We need an incentive to have more buses, trains and ferries."

While the changes were aimed at Auckland's congestion problems, they would also help other cities.

Opposition transport spokesman Roger Sowry said he feared pinning funding to increasing passenger numbers would see less-patronised services in outlying areas suffer.

Mr Gosche said essential community services would be protected, but the details of how the system would be run had to be worked through by Transfund.

A spokesman for the Campaign for Public Transport, Steve Doole, said: "Now we are going to see the emphasis put where the problems are. People will only be enticed if we can provide the service."

The Auckland Regional Council predicts the total of about 37 million passenger trips a year to rise by 1 million in 2001.

The council's transport committee chairman Les Paterson welcomed passenger-based funding but was keen to get the final details from Transfund.

"I do believe the peak times are the growth market. The present growth we are experiencing is due to people feeling the effects of congestion and not putting up with it any longer."

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