The National Party has the opportunity to show leadership by transitioning our vehicle fleet towards renewable electricity when a new contract to supply Government limousines for VIPs goes to tender next month, the Green Party said today. “This is a great opportunity for the Government to lead by choosing low emission, electric cars,” Green Party transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter said today. “The performance of some electric car models, like the Tesla Model S, exceed the specifications needed for the...

All options for meeting Auckland’s transport needs should be considered, including reprioritising the transport budget away from wasteful spending on motorways, the Green Party said today. Auckland mayor Len Brown is today releasing a transport report by the Independent Advisory Board, which outlines funding options including an increase in rates and fuel taxes and/or road tolls. “Aucklanders should have the debate about transport funding - but all options should be on the table, including fewer expensive roading projects,” Green Party...

News that Aucklanders overtook Wellingtonians as the biggest train users is further evidence the Government needs to start work on the Auckland City Rail Link now, the Green Party said today. Auckland Transport said today that in the year to September, Aucklanders took 12 million train trips against the 11.9 million taken in Wellington. It said 5,000 more Aucklanders were taking the train daily per day than in March. When the Britomart Transport Centre opened in 2003, just 2.5 million...

National ignored official advice and is spending less than half what was originally recommended by the Ministry of Transport on urban cycleways, the Green Party has revealed today. Documents obtained under the Official Information Act show that the Ministry of Transport (MOT) recommended in July that the Government spend $260 million on upgrading urban cycleways. The Government rejected this advice, announcing only $100 million of new spending over four years despite years of ‘insufficient funding’. “National’s $100 million investment into...

Another steep rise in Auckland public transport patronage in August demonstrates the need for the Government to start investing in rail and busway infrastructure now, not in the 2020s, the Green Party said today. “The rail network is close to peak capacity already and John Key needs to start on projects like the City Rail Link (CRL) now to ensure the city keeps moving,” Green Party transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter said today. Auckland Transport’s latest patronage figures showed rail...

The Green Party welcomed the Environmental Protection Authority's draft decision announced today not to allow the $90 million Basin Reserve flyover in Wellington to proceed.