Yes

A better public transport system will led to less people using private vehicles, and less congested cities. It should be an economiclaay way for people who work in a city to be able to travel to a from work, this alongside cycle lanes would make our cities more accessible to all

Having more cars on the road is inefficient, and dangerous. Break ins are increasing as well which although is not car owners fault it will save the whole country money if for everyday use people are just using the bus or train.

Government funded public transport will provide everyone with the ability to travel without the cost-dependence of owning a car. Furthermore, it will take more cars off the road for people who drive, lowering traffic. A large portion of car trips are for a single person, whereas a bus or tram can hold 10-20 people at a time. Their dimensions mean we can reduce car traffic by 5-20 times just by transitioning even a percentage of cars on the road to public transport. This will increase business and productivity in our cities, thus a richer economy, meaning the government's public transport investment will actually create more wealth.

Better public transport will lower congestion, reduce emissions, and wear and tear on roads so money could be spent else where long term

Public transport will reduce the amount of vehicles on the road which will reduce other forms of pollution.

You just have to look how well public transport functions as a key pillar of society in places like the UK, Japan, Korea.

It should be a public service, its a basic nessescaity of everyday life to be about to get around the city you live in.

I have witness huge traffic jams with single use cars and with the cost of fuel and global warming we should do better

Nz has the fourth highest car ownership rate per capita in the world. Also with the cost of fuel/living and the significant traffic issues it is not sustainable for most people. Invest in public transport INFRASTRUCTURE and make it more accessible for people to use.

Having more cars on the road is bad for the environment more public transport is need cause petrol is just too expensive these days

Agree, you don't have to look as far as Singapore. Sydney and Brisbane are currently completing major underground rail networks (Sydney Metro, Cross River rail) in order for their cities to be better connected and reduce the need for car travel. Auckland is not even close to any other major city in the world in terms of transport options.

First, public transport is a great aid to reducing carbon emissions by privately owned vehicles by allowing people to use public transport as alternatives, not to mention it is essential for this who can’t afford private transport, and also reduces road risk with less drivers on the road. Increased spending on public transport is necessary because at present, it is quite insufficient and unreliable especially when trying to make it to important appointments in time, it also increases the transport time by roughly 50% which usually means that it is preferable to simply drive one’s…  Read more own car. Being able to rely solely on public transport also means less city space being needed for parking, where instead more important facilities can be built. Privatising public transport would make it a lot less accessible and therefore we would lose any benefits that easily accessible and reliable public transport would have.

Investment in public transportation expands service and improves mobility, and, if sustained over time, can potentially affect the economy by providing:
• travel and vehicle ownership cost savings for public transportation passengers and those switching from automobiles, leading to shifts in consumer spending;
• reduced traffic congestion for those traveling by automobile and truck, leading to further direct travel cost savings for businesses and households;
• business operating cost savings associated with worker wage and reliability effects of reduced congestion; •…  Read more business productivity gained from access to broader labor markets with more diverse skills, enabled by reduced traffic congestion and expanded transit service areas; and
• additional regional business growth enabled by indirect impacts of business growth on supplies and induced impacts on spending of worker wages. At a national level, cost savings and other productivity impacts can affect competitiveness in international markets.

Public transportation improves the economy and reduces car dependence, clearing up significantly more productive land to be used for businesses or housing rather than car parking. Personal car use is also massively subsidised through taxation.

Am unsure about further context, these are my personal thoughts and what currently makes sense to me.

Roads in cities make no sense as they will not improve congestion and the environment. But mainly good public transport is far more convenient

Fullers 360 cancelled 83% of sailings to my area due to “crew shortages” and then the next week announced how proud they are to introduce 56 new sailings to Waiheke. It’s just a joke and they should release our contract with AT so a new vendor can take over.

We see that the tourism in New Zealand is becoming very low and is at its lowest and so we now that the public transport that some tourists rely on is key to have/ attract more tourists

More money should be going into public transportation as it will run smoother because more attention has been given to it. It will also encourage more people to take it, meaning more people will be off the roads.

The only context you need is current to look at the car and personal vehicle congestion in Wellington/Auckland and you'll see how more public transport will lower this.

Every other developed country in Europe (and Australia) can solve traffic issues with public transport, why is NZ different?

Why spend millions on potholes when we can spend money on public transport? There are already too many cars in NZ

Obviously it could be looked at for main cities but for the smaller ones I believe people can car pool, bike walk and use the bus system seems to work well.

Basically any NotJustBikes or CityNerd video essay. The book “Turning Point Auckland” by Owen Gill. Don’t continue the Pax Americana city design that has failed us for 5+ decades

The roads are all getting way worse for traffic if we had the right publi transport with ease of use like Europe we would have less cars on the road

We haven’t the infrastructure required. We should prioritise the things that will make a change like infrastructure with the 50 year ahead.

It should be privatized so it actually runs efficiently. The government should be focusing on infrastructure instead.

Government has clearly shown they are incapable of doing public transport effectively. Give it to a business who can.

A counterargument to the "Yes" position on public transportation might be framed as follows:

While public transportation has its merits and can be a valuable asset to a city or region, it is not a one-size-fits-all solution and should not be blindly advocated for in all circumstances. Here are some counterpoints to consider:

Cost-Effectiveness: Public transportation systems often require substantial investments in infrastructure, maintenance, and operation. In some cases, the costs may outweigh the benefits, particularly in sparsely populated areas or regions with low demand for such…  Read more services. Instead of pouring money into public transportation, it might be more fiscally responsible to explore other transportation solutions or invest in improving existing road networks.

It's almost weekly now more information comes out about the environmental impacts our present transport systems generate. Please look at the latest available information with objectivity

https://www.ttf.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/TTF-The-Benefits-Of-Public-Transport-2010.pdf

many more examples can be found on google

Sophisticated transport infrastructure overseas like Singapore reduces the need for cars and therefore lowers emissions. Reduces traffic. Better means of travelling.

American suburbs cost more money than they make, with extremely inefficient public transport systems.