KEY POINTS:
The Government wants to change the law to give regional councils more powers to control public transport.
Transport Minister Annette King said the Public Transport Management Bill offered improvements ranging from timetables to ticketing.
When regional councils negotiate contracts, they can set standards they want operators to provide. Under the bill tabled yesterday, councils would be able to set standards that all commercial services, not just contracted ones, would have to meet over time.
"The changes will enable regional councils to require operators to meet quality and performance standards for commercial public transport services which could include emissions standards or more accessible vehicles," Ms King said. "Operators could also be required to integrate services, fares and ticketing."
The bill would:
* Require services to be disability-friendly, such as super-low floor buses and public address systems.
* Require information about demand and cost.
* Allow councils to require providers to give 90 days' notice instead of 21 days for changes such as to timetables.
* Require different operators to use the same tickets in some cases, such as where different providers work the same route.
* Allow regions to insist on low emission buses.
The changes followed a review of public transport law by a working group which included central and local government representatives and public transport operators.
The changes would apply to scheduled bus and commuter ferry services nationwide but not to long-distance coach and ferry services (such as the Interislander) or rail, school services by the Ministry of Education, or taxi operators.
The changes were not expected to reduce fares.
- NZPA
