Public transport, that's for other folk

By JASON COLLIE

Auckland's car-loving motorists want a better public transport system - but they may not use it.

They are happy for public transport to get more money, but many would still stay in their cars, even if two-hour journeys to work became the norm and they were paying $2 a litre for petrol.

A Colmar Brunton survey of 1005 drivers has confirmed the perennial bugbear for planners working on Auckland's $1 billion passenger transport schemes, namely that commuters prefer the convenience of their cars.

Only 10 per cent would hop on a bus, ferry or train if Auckland's congestion became worse, while just 9 per cent would switch to public transport if they were charged $4 a day to drive on the motorways during rush-hour, says the survey, commissioned by the Automobile Association.

Nearly half of the drivers would still take their cars to work if the price of petrol rose $1, while 40 per cent would drive if the trip took an extra hour.

Yet motorists listed improving public transport as the top priority if current petrol taxes were reallocated. More than half said they would pay extra if they knew it would go to fixing road congestion or passenger transport.

About 8 per cent of travellers now use public transport.

AA northern region manager Stephen Selwood said he believed the survey pointed towards public transport attracting about 20 per cent of travellers in the future.

An earlier AA survey of its own members had shown 72 per cent favoured improving public transport, yet 63 per cent said they would not use it.

"We think that potentially public transport could pick up 20 per cent of the market overall and that during peak times on key routes into the central business district it could be 30 to 35 per cent," he said.

"The survey says that public transport has the potential to make a significant contribution, but the reality of growth is such that it would only soak up potentially 20 per cent of growth and we will still have a traffic scenario that is not much better than what we have.

"The conclusion is the absolute need for a balanced strategy to push public transport and a roading network to support it."

Auckland Regional Council member Les Paterson, chairman of the regional land transport committee, said the survey showed the mentality that public transport had to battle.

"People have got to realise we are all part of the problem.

"It is going to be very difficult to get people out of their cars, but we have to provide decent public transport alternatives and roads to give them alternatives."