Auckland's Bus Service Continued

While I have complained about buses in my last post, they are an efficient mode of transport and I believe that we need to raise passenger numbers and encourage Aucklanders to use this service. For this to happen, the Council will need to designate more road space for bus lanes, (See Image 1).

Image 1: An example of an existing bus lane along an Auckland road
Source: Maharaj 2011

The town of Brighton in the UK placed bus lanes on congested roads, which led to a 16% increase in passenger numbers, (Chiles 2009). It was discovered that this was because “the bus journey - aided by the new lanes was faster,” (Chiles 2009) and buses were able to become more reliable. This example shows that the use of bus lanes allowed buses to get to destinations quicker. The bus service became more consistent and commuters were able to rely on buses, therefore more people began to use the service.

I believe that we need to adopt a similar approach within Auckland. We need to construct more bus lanes. These lanes will allow buses to pass through congested traffic and buses will become more reliable. This will also create shorter journey times, therefore encouraging members of the public to use this public transport service. More people using this service will cause a reduction in car use, which consequently will decrease carbon dioxide emissions, creating a healthier environment and ensuring that Aucklanders are using more sustainable forms of transportation.

Auckland's Bus Service

In Auckland,  buses are a convenient form of transportation.  The bus service, (See Image 1) provides transport for thousands of people daily and there are a number of bus stops situated throughout Auckland, linking many areas to each other. 

Image 1: An example of an Auckland bus service.
Source: Maharaj 2011.

For me personally, buses are more convenient to catch because they stop right outside university. However I rarely use the bus service because it is highly unreliable and unpredictable. While buses aim to run on a timetable, because Auckland roading does not have the capacity to establish bus lanes along all of the main roads that the buses travel on, these buses often get stuck in traffic, causing them to arrive late. There are times that I have only had to wait for 10mintues for my bus to arrive. However there are also times that I have had to wait for more than half an hour. This also means that at times, when the roads are quiet, I could get to uni within 15 minutes. Other times it can take between 30 and 40 minutes. This is what I mean about buses being unreliable..

Vehicle Dependency

Within Auckland, a large proportion of people own private vehicles and there is a heavy reliance on cars, (See Image 1). 

Image 1: An example of a private vehicle in use on an Auckland road.
Source: Maharaj 2011

Now although these private vehicle owners are faced with a number of expenses such as fuel, maintenance and insurance, driving their own car is the most convenient form of transport for them. Vehicles provide that comfort and reliability that public transport just cannot deliver on. However, the amount of carbon emissions that are released into the environment as a result of car use, is of great concern. It is doing major damage to the environment yet local bodies within Auckland continue to provide opportunities for car users. For example, the South Western Motorway (SH 20). This links Mt Roskill to areas in Onehunga ie. Neilson Street and then continues onto Southern areas like the Airport and Puhinui Road. This highway has created an alternative route for commuters travelling between these areas. While this may be beneficial to car users, it is not a sustainable solution. It makes things easier for drivers and has provided them with better links and improved vehicle access. This is encouraging them to drive, which I believe is the opposite of what we should be doing. 


I feel like it would have been more effective to invest the money spent on the highway into the public transport sector or into projects that encourage cycling and walking. Providing for these forms of transport can help in reducing car use, which will have many benefits. It will relieve congestion on both roads and motorways, minimise carbon emissions and ultimately create a more sustainable environment.  

Different forms of transportation within Auckland

Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand and is home to about one third of the national population, (See Image 1).  

Image 1: Auckland, New Zealand
Source: Google Images 2011

The majority of people use private vehicles as their main mode of transportation and while public transport is widely used, bus and train infrastructure within Auckland cannot support such a large population. Other modes of transport are also used such as the ferry and more recently, car pooling has become popular. Cycling and walking are also used as forms of transportation in Auckland. 

Each of these modes of transport will be discussed further in later posts.

Introduction

Hey guys! I’m Shilpa and this is my blog. I am doing a Planning degree at the University of Auckland and this blog has been created for one of my assignments. The blog has provided me with the opportunity to express my interest in transport, which is the area I would like to work in as a professional planner in the future.

I have lived in Auckland my whole life and have learnt about the city’s transport through my degree and also through my own observations. I thought it would be interesting to look further into Auckland’s transport and this blog provides me with opportunities to express my own views about transport infrastructure, facilities and services within Auckland. I hope you enjoy the blog and what I have to say. I welcome any comments that you may have.