Councillor's Comment: Household transport emissions a quarter of Nelson’s overall greenhouse emissions

Major improvements to our local public transport system will make bus travel a more attractive option for people and maximise our potential to reduce emissions, writes Nelson City Councillor Brian McGurk.

Government has allocated $40 million over the next four years to accelerate the decarbonisation of public transport. This enables public transport providers to work towards completely moving their fleets from fossil-fuelled buses to zero-emission buses or buses using zero-emission power sources by 2035. This is in addition to the planned zero emissions public transport bus mandate, meaning only zero emission public transport buses can be purchased from 2025.

Our officers are working to bring in major improvements to our local public transport system from 1 July 2023. Among those improvements will be the requirement that local public transport is zero emission.

The ride quality of zero emission buses is smoother and less noisy. We’re introducing new and more frequent routes, extending timetables, a new lower flat fare, substantially improving our bus stops, and bringing in changes so buses get higher priority at traffic signal intersections and on the roads.

These factors – coupled with extra funding for 50% public transport fares to August 2022 and ongoing for community services cardholders – will make zero emission bus travel in Nelson a more attractive option for people who currently use cars and maximise our potential to reduce emissions.