One recent issue has given me hope. I think we have Winston Peters to thank for this. I have often described Winston as a Conservative with a small “c”. I think he has taken the inter-island ferry debate off those who would like to privatise the process. His interview on Radio New Zealand on … [Read more...]
The Misguided Minister of Speed
I come from a family of petrol heads. My Dad was a motor mechanic for 55 years. I came to live in Christchurch because the Vintage Car Club scene was so alive down here. Whenever someone in the family talked about travelling from “A” to “B” the first question asked by a family chorus was “what time … [Read more...]
Transport planning…
I think this cartoon reflects how the current Minister for Transport views forward planning for transport. If you can’t drive a truck or a car, then planning for anything else doesn’t enter his consciousness. Especially if you live anywhere in the South Island. He is a true disaster on two … [Read more...]
The need for investment in all aspects of Roading
One of the sackings I am proud of was when I was sacked by Stephen Joyce from NZTA board. The Minister had interfered with a decision we had to make as a board on a particular road which assisted a local National Party MP. The Chair, Brian Roche, gave into Ministerial bullying, as did most of the … [Read more...]
Another example of the South Island being ignored by Labour and National:
In an excellent article in the Press recently the Chair of Ecan, Peter Scott, spoke forcefully about how we are being forgotten down here by both National and Labour. I can’t link to it as the Press don’t share open access to their articles so somebody with access has copied it and here it is in … [Read more...]
The discussion on boarding cards for public transport drags on and on
Some years ago, I was on the NZTA board, now called Waka Kotahi. One of the matters debated at the Board was the issue of boarding cards for public transport. Auckland applied for a significant sum to develop its own card to NZTA. The Board decided that we would support Auckland to develop what … [Read more...]
Am I correct in being incredibly suspicious of electric vehicles?
I’m a complete car nut. My life has centred around driving vintage motor cars. So, what I am now reflecting on is me challenging the way I, and my family, have lived. My father was a motor mechanic for 55 years and I grew up in his garage listening to him and his mates talking about their vehicles … [Read more...]
I loved this article questioning Labour and National’s transport policies
In an article in Spinoff last week 22 year old Tommy de Silva wrote: The choice to tunnel under Te Waitematā from downtown to the inner North Shore will take decades to complete and have a $35bn-$45bn price tag (which Bernard Hickey argues might inflate to $65bn). It’s not just … [Read more...]
Public transport investment is essential and seems to be downplayed by politicians:
I have recently had a series of emails with Duncan Webb as Minister of SOE’s about Railways and taking them into a new place as a single entity. My argument is that we need to invest seriously in public transport. As Minister of SOE’s he has the power to promote the return of the Railways to … [Read more...]
RailCorp and Duncan Webb
However, much of the response was on rail. In Newsroom last week there was a podcast which analyzed Railways in this country. Below is how the article summarized the current operating model for railways which is precisely what Duncan Webb could fix with a bit of effort. The structure of Rail is … [Read more...]
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