The Campaign For Better Transport

While we are talking about taxis:

1) Its friggin hard to hail a cab. Even on Queen Street. Whats with that?
2) That dinky little “for hire” light is bloody hard to see some nights.
3) They’re expensive. Why can’t they offer a ride share option? Get a destination sign on the roof so someone else can hail the cab as well to halve the cost of the journey
4) If they have shuttles to the airport, why don’t they have commuter shuttles to the CBD?

The New Zealand Herald reports former Prime Minister Jim Bolger is to lose his chairmanship of state railway company KiwiRail. He will be replaced by Wellington businessman John Spencer.

Both Labour and the Greens are opposed to the Government’s introduction of 53-tonne trucks on our roads.

From the Green Party:

The Green Party is urging the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) to support the passenger train service between Waikato and Auckland.

“This is a common sense project with massive public support,” said Green Party transport spokesperson Gareth Hughes.

Mr Hughes is in Hamilton for the presentation of Campaign for Better Transport’s 11,000 signature petition in support of the service.

“Every day hundreds of people drive between Auckland and Hamilton. A fast, efficient commuter service could allow them to do the trip faster, in more comfort, and also allow them to work if a wireless internet link was established on board the train,” said Mr Hughes.

Media release from the Campaign for Better Transport

Plans for Hamilton Underground Station To Be Revealed

A petition calling for a commuter rail link between Hamilton and Auckland will be presented to the Government this coming Monday, at the Hamilton Railway Station.

Sustainable transport group The Campaign for Better Transport has collected over 10,000 signatures in a little over four months, with the majority of signatures coming from the Waikato towns of Hamilton, Ngaruawahia and Huntly.

Campaign manager Jon Reeves says the petition has been an overwhelming success.

“It’s probably the biggest ever petition presented on a local issue. The support we have had from the people and businesses of Waikato has been truly incredible. Most people do not believe we have to resort to a petition simply to get a rail service between New Zealand’s fourth largest city and Auckland.

“We will be asking Waikato political representatives to represent the views of their constituents.”

The “Waikato Trains Now!” petition will be presented to local Labour MP Sue Moroney, with Hamilton City and Environment Waikato councillors also expected to attend, along with central Government MPs.

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Few people know it, or it has been lost in the mists of time, but there is actually an underground train station in the middle of Hamilton, right underneath the Warehouse on Anglesea Street.  Here are a couple of photos to prove it, supplied by the intrepid Jon Reeves.

The CBT is currently working on developing some concept drawings which will be released soon.  The plans for the current station are available here, for those interested.

Carbon News reports KiwiRail’s new locos are more “environmentally friendly”.

Fran O’Sullivan has a wildly optimistic take on New Zealand being a major petroleum exporter in the future.

In 15 years, New Zealanders could be the oil sheikhs of the Pacific if Government projections over the potential of our petroleum sector bear fruit.

Ministry of Economic Development estimates suggest the petroleum sector alone could generate over $30 billion per annum in export revenues by 2025.

Unfortunately I really don’t think the MED have an accurate handle on potential or possible oil reserves, and they are being wildly optimistic. The Taranaki basin has been well explored and even the relatively successful Tui oil field last year yielded just $24m in royalties and $31m in income taxes. Tui is just 12.5% owned by NZOG, so the rest of the profits flow directly overseas, and we continue to import all of our oil.