Is it just me, or is there a certain level of middle class angst about John Minto’s plan for free public transport?
To me, free public transport is the exact type of radical realignment Auckland needs if it is to be congestion free, environmentally positive and socially conscious all at the same time.
The flubber gusted grand olde doynenne of the NZ Herald, Brian Rudman, was having none of Minto’s plan however. He grumped and growled and sounded like every other selfish baby boomer gold card carrying free public transport oldie who is being told their favorite subsidy might be expanded to the greedy poor.
Cry me a fucking river Brian.
This is public transport as social policy. Transport goals can’t be left to the tech-geekdom of Auckland Transport Blog (bless their hearts) or else it just becomes a mechanical equation for free flow traffic. I’m wanting engineering deeper than the level of a plumber for something as important as public transport.
Free public transport would do more to put money directly into the pockets of the poor in a meaningful way. The free wifi and regularity of services would generate the REAL benefits a car addicted culture need to see before they can go cold turkey.
Having to listen to gold card eligible pundits whinge against being forced to sit next to the gypsies on the grounds of cost as they slink off yet again to Wiaheke Island for another $70 round trip subsidy to visit the wineries is just the height of get-over-yourself-please.
If free public transport is good enough for baby boomers, why isn’t it good enough for those poor who would benefit from it most?
There is an issue with entirely free public transport. They had this in Cuba, but then people would just hop on and off for only travelling a block or two, slowing the system and taking up seats for actual travellers. Which is fine if your service is well funded to handle the extra load, but not a great use of resources. So they switched it to one peso. You need a nominal charge, maybe a dollar, something fair, to make people think and make a choice about whether to get on. You can still have CSC concessions for those in need.
That sounds like one of those problems that you look forward to having, given that it would indicate a large measure of success in moving people from cars to PT.
The benefits of reduced road spending, better air quality (and thus health), future conversion of roading lanes to PT, trains or cycleways make the long term benefits quite high.
Any approach should have trigger-points for subsequent development. Eg. when PT capacity reaches 80%, provision is made for extra services.
I’m all for it. Given the debacle of the HOP cards and the immense waste of money for RoNS, this seems a sane alternative.
And how would you determine when it’s at 80%?
The most important reason you need a nominal charge is the statistics that it generates that allow you to then plan the network. Without those statistics you’re going to have chaos on the buses/trains and thus a PT system that doesn’t work.
It’s the main reason why I like the Hop cards. They show not just where people get on but where people get off as well and both pieces of information are needed to properly plan the network.
Gentle up on the Baby Boomer bashing, please.
Most of this cohort is satisfied with one house, and a modest income, and endured the upheaval of the 1980s with accompanying redundancies and discrimination, leading to material loss.
And, many of the Gold Card carriers are mightily relieved to be able to afford to travel into town more than once a fortnight. Waiheke Island and wineries is a dream far too far.
If every Baby Boomer was really swimming in gravy the economy wouldn’t be as sick as it is.
You might need a different image to indicate those who are more to the middle of the page than out on the margins.
The problem with socialism is that sooner or later- you run out of other people’s money. NZ slaves now pay around 70% net taxes, via gst, income, rates, petrol etc etc. This Country is a frigging communist/ marxist joke. 30 years of falling real wages, asset sales (in fact the theft of everything we have ever worked for and saved), record borrowing/debt, record child abuse, record meth addiction – and still the fluoride over dosed public argue over how much bus rides should cost? Its a joke. The solutions we actually need to focus on- getting rid of Government all together- imagine all the extra money in your pocket?? You could possibly even buy a bike. 30 years of failure in Govt- and theft – and still the sheeple remain distracted from reality.
The problem with capitalism is that, sooner or later, the capitalists run out of other peoples money to steal.
The note accurately identify the behavior of middle class, poor and rich people.
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