1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:04,360 Speaker 1: Now onto basically the same subject, how much things are 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:08,039 Speaker 1: costing you public transport. It looks like bus and train 3 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:10,160 Speaker 1: fares are going to have to go up quite a 4 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: lot around the country and in particular Wellington. Wellington appears 5 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: to be the only place that's done the numbers. Now, 6 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: what's caused this to happen is that the NZTA, the 7 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:21,279 Speaker 1: Transport Agency, has written a letter to all of the 8 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 1: public transport authorities around the country setting new targets for 9 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: how much of the cost of public transport they will 10 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: have to stump up for as opposed to the government spending. Now, 11 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 1: Thomas Nash is the chair of the Greater Wellington Regional 12 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:35,320 Speaker 1: Council Transport Committee. 13 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 2: Is with us. Now, Hey Thomas, Hey, Heather. 14 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 1: Okay, so have they written to you and said you 15 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 1: guys have to fund a greater proportion or users have 16 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:44,240 Speaker 1: to fund a greater proportion. 17 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 2: They've said they want the private share to be greater. 18 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:49,520 Speaker 2: So that's the amount of money that pays for public 19 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 2: transport that isn't council rates or MZTA contributions. So that 20 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 2: is mostly fares, but it could also include advertising, which 21 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 2: we we get some money for, and you know, any 22 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 2: other commercial deals you can do as a public transport 23 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 2: authority if you're renting out your premises. 24 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:10,919 Speaker 1: Intactic so you guys could actually make rather than making 25 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:14,400 Speaker 1: putting this on the user of the bus or the train, 26 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:16,640 Speaker 1: it actually can come from some other private sources. You 27 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 1: just need to figure out out. 28 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:20,759 Speaker 2: Yeah you can. And I mean if there's a magic 29 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 2: way of doing that that we're not already doing, we're 30 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 2: very keen to hear about it. We have wrapped entire 31 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 2: train and delivery ezy for Gailia recently. We have doubled 32 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 2: the amount of money that we've got from advertising the 33 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 2: last couple of years, but it's still only about two 34 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 2: percent of the overall revenue we get from fears. So 35 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 2: this is not going to be a real solution. The 36 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:44,839 Speaker 2: implication of the government's plan will absolutely be hitting people 37 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:47,480 Speaker 2: in the back pocket, and during a cost of living crisis, 38 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 2: I think you'd agree that's the last thing we. 39 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 1: Need starting win. 40 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 2: Well, they've said that from next financial year, so that'd 41 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 2: be from the first of July next year. They want 42 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 2: our private share this new concept to increase in a 43 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 2: way that would equate to a seventy one percent increase 44 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 2: in fears Now we're not going to do that. We're 45 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 2: going to push back and we're going to say, hey, 46 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 2: this doesn't make sense because what you'll do if you 47 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:13,520 Speaker 2: if you did that, you would end up just pushing 48 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 2: people back into cars, more people be on the road, 49 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 2: and it would be more congested, which I think is 50 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 2: the opposite of what. 51 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:22,080 Speaker 1: They cost somebody in Wellington at the moment to catch 52 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:24,080 Speaker 1: let's say a bus. 53 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 2: Let's say yeah, yeah, So like if you it might 54 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 2: cost you ten dollars a day with a return trip, 55 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 2: if you were going a few zones, so the average trip, 56 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 2: so that'd go to seventeen dollars a day. If we 57 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 2: were going to meet this target through through fear, ten 58 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 2: dollars a day return, ten dollars a day return would 59 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 2: go seventeen dollars a day return if we were going 60 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 2: to meet their new target just through fear and creases, 61 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 2: which we won't do. 62 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: Like I know, cost of living, and I know I 63 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: know that you know, ten dollars a day is a 64 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:54,919 Speaker 1: lot of money when it all adds up, but that's 65 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:58,119 Speaker 1: actually not that bad. I mean, what's seventeen dollars times five, 66 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 1: that's eighty five bucks, is that right? Eighty five five 67 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:02,360 Speaker 1: bucks a week for transport. You're never going to be 68 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:03,920 Speaker 1: able to get in and out of the city with 69 00:03:03,960 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 1: a car, considering car parking and stuff like that for 70 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: eighty five bucks a week, are you? 71 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 2: So what do you what are we saying we want 72 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 2: we want to encourage more people to drive and. 73 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:13,679 Speaker 1: Few No, you know what I'm saying to you is 74 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: that's a false argument, because you because even if you 75 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 1: even if you paid seventeen dollars a day, it's still 76 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:20,919 Speaker 1: cheaper than taking your car. 77 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 2: And it should be because we have about three point. 78 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 1: Five you know, totally. But so you're not going to 79 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 1: get in your car, So why amount that argument? 80 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 2: Well, of but we are because we've seen it before. 81 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:34,080 Speaker 2: As you as you increase fares, you reduce the number 82 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 2: of people on your network. That's just a that's just 83 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 2: a kind of rule of thumb. And if you get 84 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 2: to a point where you go beyond what people are 85 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 2: going to be affording, what people can afford visa v 86 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 2: a car, then they're going to jump in their car. 87 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: So do you think at some point it's still slightly 88 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 1: more expensive to take your car, but the convenience is 89 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 1: worth it, and so you pay the extra. 90 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 2: Bit well, yeah, and this is why we have three 91 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:58,120 Speaker 2: point five million trips every month on the public transport network. Now, 92 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 2: think about for a second if those people, even if 93 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 2: half those people decided to drive instead of get the 94 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 2: train or the bus because of this proposal from the 95 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 2: government to increase feares, then your roads at peak time 96 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 2: would be impossible to navigate, and then people will be complaining. 97 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 2: So you have to think about the value, not just 98 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 2: the cost, but the value of public transport. And this 99 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 2: is what the government's getting wrong with this paper. They're 100 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 2: not recognizing the value of public transport to the economy, 101 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 2: to the safe and easy passage of goods through the city. 102 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 2: I mean that stuff is going to suffer if you 103 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:38,599 Speaker 2: push up fears so much that people get. 104 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: What proportion if people are paying ten bucks at the moment, 105 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:41,839 Speaker 1: what proportion of the total fear is that, like, how 106 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:43,040 Speaker 1: much is it being subsidized? 107 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:47,359 Speaker 2: So that is we have what we call fearbox recovery 108 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 2: of around thirty percent, so the amount of and that 109 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 2: is very good internationally. 110 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:55,039 Speaker 1: It's maybe like a thirty five dollar trip and they're 111 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 1: paying ten bucks. 112 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, so that's what we and you should do that 113 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:04,119 Speaker 2: calculation for roads especially local roads, and you will find 114 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 2: that the amount that that actual drivers are paying, especially 115 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:10,679 Speaker 2: on a local road, is way below what that costs. 116 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:12,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, all right, hey Thomas, thanks for talking us, sir, 117 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: I appreciate It's Thomas Nash, heir of the Greater Wellington 118 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 1: Regional Council's Transport Committee. For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, 119 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:21,479 Speaker 1: listen live to news talks. 120 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 2: It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast 121 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 2: on iHeartRadio.