Free public transport and more govt action called for

Dunedin's bus hub. Photo: Stephen Jaquier

By John Gibb, Otago Daily Times, 18 September 2019

Free public transport should be trialled in New Zealand cities as part of urgent measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions, Prof Sir Alan Mark says.

"A lot can be done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport," he said yesterday.

Transport had a crucial role to play, and he urged "more promotion of public transport, with introduction of "free city transport offered by local governments, paid by ratepayers, at least as a trial exercise".

Some fare-free public transport had been offered in Auckland and he would like to see this extended and offered elsewhere.

Sir Alan is a University of Otago botanist and chairman of the Wise Response Society, a group that promotes sustainable approaches and a "wise response" to climate change challenges.

There was "no substitute for reducing emissions", rather than simply trying to capture carbon through extensive exotic tree planting, he said yesterday.

Such emission cuts required promotion, policies and regulations by central and local governments.

And cuts were vital "in effectively addressing global warming and associated climate disruption", he added.

The Government could also help with the promotion of electric vehicles and regulation on the transport of goods, with less road transport and more rail and sea, he said.

He had outlined his concerns about the Government's billion trees programme in his earlier submission to the Zero Carbon Bill.

"We believe the billion trees programme needs urgent review, particularly the use of commercial plantations of exotic conifers with their relatively short rotations.

"Permanent forests, exotic or native, would be more effective in sequestering carbon, " he said.

 - This story is part of the Otago Daily Times contribution to Covering Climate Now, an international campaign by more than 170 media organisations to draw attention to the issue of climate change ahead of a United Nations summit on September 23. To read more of our coverage, go to odt.co.nz/climate.