You Gave a Lot
A big, heartfelt thankyou from the Transport Blog team to all of our readers who gave so generously when we asked.
Our original target of $1,800 to cover hosting costs was smashed within 24 hours of the GiveALittle link being put up on the website. …
7 Comments Give A Little
Regular readers will have noticed that we have setup a GiveALittle donation widget on the left sidebar.
No one at TransportBlog (or the Campaign for Better Transport) gets paid for any work we do, and we rely entirely on donations for operational costs.…
Did the MOT get the Land Transport Management Bill Wrong?
Last night the Land Transport Management Amendment Bill passed on it’s third reading, which means that it is set to become law soon.
The Land Transport Management Act dates from 2003 and it set up the New Zealand Transport Agency and established the rules under which it operates in order to achieve “an affordable, integrated, safe, responsive, and sustainable land transport system”.…
Hop Saga Continues
The long running saga of Auckland’s Integrated Ticketing project continues, with this story in the Sunday Star Times today:
Auckland Transport’s accounts indicate the city’s integrated ticketing system is $27 million over budget and behind schedule, but the council-owned agency refused to comment on or clarify its numbers last week.…
Is the Coastal Pacific Really Losing Money?
The Coastal Pacific is KiwiRail’s scenic rail service that operates both ways between Picton and Christchurch on a daily basis.
In 2011 it had a major revamp, with new carriages featuring panoramic windows like the one below as well as a new café car.…
Government Misleads on Public Transport Spending In Auckland
A Herald article last month highlighted strong support for more Government spending on public transport improvements in Auckland. It included the following quote:
But a spokesman for Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee said that with $890 million budgeted for public transport in Auckland over three years “it would be grossly unfair to suggest the Government hasn’t given this mode of transport the priority it deserves”.…
Hailo – The Killer App for the Taxi Industry?
Here on Transport Blog we don’t tend to cover too many taxi related stories, but a tweet from Richard Branson has alerted me to Hailo, a mobile app designed to make hailing a cab easier. Originated by three cabbies in London, Hailo is rolling out to a number of cities, including Dublin, Toronto, New York and San Francisco.…
Fair Fares For Families
With all the excitement of the AT Hop card implementation on 28th October, it seems the Family Pass has been forgotten about.
Sure, the Maxx website is still advertising the $24 daily pass:
Unlimited train travel. Available after 9.00am on weekdays and anytime on the weekends and public holidays.…
Sideswipe Covers Travel Time Savings
In recent days the Herald “Sideswipe” column has helpfully illustrated some of the core issues around urban sprawl and using travel time savings as a measure of the worth of a transport project. It started with this on Monday:
Good life in the country costs less
OK, so you move out to, say, Whangaparaoa from the North Shore to get a more affordable mortgage.…
NZTA Fudging the Figures on the NLTP?
The NZTA has announced their three yearly National Land Transport Programme 2012 – 15:
Spending on roads and public transport by central and local government over the next three years will increase by almost 13 per cent with much of the additional cash coming from fuel tax and road user charge hikes, Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee says.…
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