Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

 

There is absolutely no doubt that New Zealand is in for some tough economic times over the next year or so. High inflation and disruptions caused by the pandemic and war in Ukraine are contributing to significant pressures on businesses and households. 

Some may have missed it, but back in late March ASB Bank released forecasting that indicated that New Zealand households would see an on-average increase in weekly costs in the vicinity of $150. I must admit, I was staggered by that figure even though I understand the impact that higher interest rates and rising consumer prices are having. 

$150 is a lot of money for Kiwi families to find and for most, it is proba...

Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand News -

Cynically released on a Saturday morning and buried amongst blanket news coverage of Auckland’s Delta outbreak was the Government’s announcement that they had scrapped the bike bridge over the Waitemata Harbour as part of Auckland’s Northern Pathway Project.  

Despite already spending an almost unbelievable $51million on planning for the bridge, I guess it is good news that, at last, the Government has listened to public feedback and abandoned what was little more than a $800m vanity project. Remaining funding will instead be reallocated to other transport projects in the city that reduce emissions and traffic congestion. When it comes to Auckland’s transport woes, there is...

Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand News -

Since March 2020, COVID-19, lockdowns and supply chain pressures have caused unprecedented disruption for the road freight transport industry here in Aotearoa. 

During this time, drivers have stepped up and ensured the delivery of essential goods across the country – vital supplies to keep our supermarkets, petrol stations, businesses and hospitals fully stocked. 

Workers in the road freight transport industry do the hard mahi every day, placing themselves on the front line to keep the supply chain moving and support our economic recovery. I know the recent Delta outbreak has put even more pressure on and I would like to thank everyone in the sector who is contin...

Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand News -

Transport should be about what is in the best interests of connecting people and enabling freight to get to desired destinations. In theory, much of the transport investment is for inter-generational assets.

In recent years it has become deeply politicised, and we are losing integrity in the decisionmaking process. This has resulted in investment decisions being for political purposes, and many of these projects never come to fruition.

A modern transport system can mould together road transport needs, commuter movements, supply chains, advances in technology, economic growth and environmental concerns.

The challenge ahead

New Zealand is a young...

Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand News -

Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand recently provided feedback on the Ministry of Transport’s Long-Term Insights Briefing (LTIB) on the impact of autonomous vehicles (AVs) operating on NZ’s roads.

The LTIB said AVs are predicted to fundamentally change the transport sector, although there is still a high degree of uncertainty in actually understanding their potential impact. 

On the one hand, AVs could significantly improve road safety outcomes and contribute to a more integrated, accessible and cost-effective transport system for NZ. 

On the other hand, they could also introduce new road safety risks (such as hardware and software failures and malicio...

Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand News -

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