Where is our (transport) money going?

I would like to apologise in advance for this. Mostly because I like to keep things non political. I am not associated with any political party in any way and don't consider myself left or right on the political scale. However, this issue is important for it impacts significantly on this nations ability to build an effective transport network, and therefore it impacts on the very future of Christchurch itself.

Why is our Government doing this? Why are they taking money from public transport and shovelling it into roads? New Zealand will always need to invest in roads but why at the expense of other transport modes? New Zealand's economy suffers from an over reliance on roads not because we have not invested enough in them but because we have not invested in an efficient sustainable transport network overall. Moving freight and people by higher capacity transport modes is vastly more efficient, requires less long-term transport spending and reduces short-term costs. It also allows choice, making us less vulnerable when economic hard times hit. Spending money on public transport, rail etc isn't about denying people the right to travel the way they want to. Where public transport improvements have been made people have flocked, and capacity on roads has reduced or ceased its rapid growth. Take a look at Auckland where they have had 70 per cent growth in patronage on the Northern Busway, congestion on the Harbour Bridge has eased and traffic growth in general has slowed. The obvious benefits to the economy barely need pointing out.

So why has our Government done this? They are going by the logic that 84 per cent of New Zealander's commute using private vehicles and that 70 per cent of our freight is hauled on roads. Oh dear. It doesn't take half a brain to realise that this is flawed. New Zealand has a poor reputation for public transport investment while rail has been crippled and coastal shipping practically murdered. With that in mind what does this government expect? If anything, those figures legitimise greater spending on more efficient, higher capacity transport modes and illustrate New Zealand's brittle economic position. Ironically, petrol increased by 5c a litre the same week as this announcement!

The end result is that it will cost you and me more and more to get from 'A' to 'B', it will cost more for goods to be transported around this country, it will cost more for goods to be sent from this country, it will result in a less accessible New Zealand and it will turn away visitors and business alike. End result, it will hit you and me in the pocket. Big time.