No, we have more important issues that need funding

Whilst I agree there are more important issues that need funding, NZ’s public transport is far behind most nations and in many cities, is extremely poor for its population size / needs of the public. Even just basic transport like bud services are extremely poor and behind modern times.

Cost of living is increasing therefore public transport should be improved so that the cost of each households de reases

That the money we will spend on transportation will be far less than the money we will have to spend on curring breathing issues l, asthma in the future of a country where car number keeps on increasing...

Have you seen every other major city in the world?? Our public transport is an absolute joke. We will never get rid of our archaic reliance on cars if we keep being so short sighted as to not invest in public transport.

Public transportation impacts so many other issues - government roading costs, personal finances, availability of education, reducing congestion, reducing emissions, public health, mental health, and so many more. Public transport is one aspect of dealing with "more important" issues.

Creating independence and equal opportunity is important to me. I think if we want people to be independent and have equal opportunities, they need a platform to get to and from those opportunities. Not everyone can afford a car, bicycle or motorbikes etc.

As our population grows, we can continue digging a deeper hole requiring more expenditure on new roads and management, or we could ease congestion by implementing a world class public transport system. It's only going to get more expensive the more we kick it down the road and we're getting left behind by other super cities where public transport plays a major role in their liveability

As our population grows, we can continue digging a deeper hole requiring more expenditure on new roads and management, or we could ease congestion by implementing a world class public transport system. It's only going to get more expensive the more we kick it down the road and we're getting left behind by other super cities where public transport plays a major role in their liveability.

Public transport in NZ sucks, we need to put more money into it. We are such a small country yet the only way to get around is via plane. National rail is necessary.

One of the biggest issues is our roading and public transport infrastructure being decades behind. Improve infrastructure then you solve many other issues such as road deaths, housing issues, job and labour markets and overall economic improvements. (Look at the rest of the world for examples.)

The fact that this isn't one of the main focuses at the moment is mind boggling - we are already 20 years behind.

Public transport is a massive issue and doesn't get used because it is unreliable and expensive, make it more affordable for people and more reliable.

Public transport helps the roads less busy, causing less incidents and it is also a lot more environmently friendly.

Public transport systems in other countries is very efficient and easy yo use. NZ public transport is a joke and funding should be given to encourage the use of public transport.

Our traffic in big cities is terrible, gas prices are too high so we need to switch to public transport for the benefit of the every day person and so need more funding and infrastructure.

I talk to a lot of people that catch transport and we all agree we need cheaper and more reliable transport. Transport is currently expensive and not always reliable (late or last minute cancellations). We need to give more funding to this area to make transport accessible and stress free for everyone.

I think those who do not think this area needs funding is either someone who doesn't use it, or comes from a wealthy and privileged place. Even if I wasn't catching transport, I have nephews and friends that do and I want this to be a great and cheap option for them.

Public Transport affects people's freedom of travel, lowers the effects of climate change, and allows more economically viable living areas

Nz's goal for lower carbon emissions and lowering global warming will not be possible if people stay driving.

The world is collapsing around us and we need to act now to reduce emissions. Also better public transport creates more liveable cities

NZ will continue to stagnate financially, socially and environmentally until we get public transportation to a level that is acceptable internationally. It's too had to get around, with little to no infrastructure. One of the big draws to moving away overseas is the connectivity around those countries and other places. Less cars on the road is better for transport times and the environment. Better connectivity attracts higher skilled individuals who want to work but be able to move around easily.

Having travelled a significant amount this year, NZ’s public transport is awful compared to many other 1st world countries. There is no plan for future growth.

NZ will continue to stagnate financially, socially and environmentally until we get public transportation to a level that is acceptable internationally. It's too had to get around, with little to no infrastructure. One of the big draws to moving away overseas is the connectivity around those countries and other places. Less cars on the road is better for transport times and the environment. Better connectivity attracts higher skilled individuals who want to work but be able to move around easily.

NZ’s public transport is **** compared to many other countries and we need more taxi drivers/cars in smaller towns

It's the single biggest thing that will transform our country. We need to take a 50 year approach to it.

Public transport is an underlying variable in economic productivity, regional prosperity and climate change mitigation.

Along with infrastructure development which may take years and years to come , transportation should go hand in hand

Public transport is extremely important in helping the world go around. Not everyone has their own means of transport and rely on this to get around

It's extremely important in making sure the city/country is connected. With a public transport system good enough, people will naturally move away from driving if they dont need to - solves the issue of dangerous driving, too many cards on the road, carbon emissions etc

We need a long term multiparty approach to providing effective public transport - compared to other cities around the world we lack this.

Investment into public transportation is critical to prevent a number of issues that are becoming more prevalent. It is essentially the only way to reduce traffic on the roads as our population continues to climb, and retirement age continues to increase. Additionally, it is important to provide affordable transportation to low income people as vehicle and fuel prices continue to rise. If these issues are ignored, they could lead to problems for all New Zealanders.

Public transport could decrease spending on environmentally unfriendly options. It would likely be far fairer and more efficient than current solutions too.

Public transport is extremely important as the cost of living increases and not everyone has transportation

We do but need to improve our public transport because it’s **** , and embarrassing compared to other countries

As our population grows, we can continue digging a deeper hole requiring more expenditure on new roads and management, or we could ease congestion by implementing a world class public transport system. It's only going to get more expensive the more we kick it down the road and we're getting left behind by other super cities where public transport plays a major role in their liveability.

Efiicient movement within a city is an essential baseline that will help improve most other aspects of life as well.

Public transportation is a basic human right in a city and there should be more options than the bus

Public transport is an integral part of society that is often looked over. It reduces emissions, reduces congestion, fuels economic and jobs growth, creates better air quality, is safer for pedestrians and offers more transport options/freedoms to poorer New Zealanders that can't or don't want to buy a car. Better public transport means better living standards, look across the world and compare car centric cities and public transport oriented cities, I know which I prefer.

Clean and efficient public transport offers mode shift and carbon reduction. Along with work opportunities and community connections. Especially for lower Income communities

Public services such as transport are the base for so much of a good society which we are currently lacking

Public transportation is an issue that feeds into other issues. Increased public transport use would reduce carbon emissions, improve accessibility for those who cannot afford to run cars, reduce wear and tear on our roads and reduce traffic build up issues and road incidents.

As our population grows, we can continue digging a deeper hole requiring more expenditure on new roads and management, or we could ease congestion by implementing a world class public transport system. It's only going to get more expensive the more we kick it down the road and we're getting left behind by other super cities where public transport plays a major role in their liveability.

Public transport affects everything, social mobility, climate change, the economy. The more money spent on public transport, the better a city and connected a country will be.

Public transport is the key to increased productivity, environmental concern and future city planning

where the population size justifies the investment, an efficient and well run public transport system should be the bedrock of any city that takes seriously the needs of it's citizens and the needs of the environment

Our public transport system is flawed. Too many kiwis own and drive personal vehicles. Look at any other country in comparison. This should be our number one goal to reduce emmisions… not a discount on EV’s for the wealthy who can afford a new car.

How do we get to go and fight those issues if we can’t take public transport to get there or the public transport makes us late

There are other important issues that need addressing, but existing funding is put towards new roads, which in my opinion, would be better spent on improving public transportation.

If you want people to work for minimum wage and also raise the price of petrol its only fair public transport is subsidized.

And that’s why traffic is so bad because all money goes elsewhere not on reliability of public transport

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

Reducing car traffic and general emissions is an easy way to increase public health and generally increase the attractiveness of city centres to both residents and tourists.

Traffic congestion is at an all time high which decreases peoples quality of life and productivity of the countries economy. In comparison with other cities in the world our transportation network is embarrassing.

We probably do - health, education, etc. But improved public transport will help limit impact on the environment, help create healthier, more efficient (more liveable) cities and, if it is affordable, help address social inequities as well.

Maybe we'd have enough money to fund both if our tax system wasn't **** ed and if we didn't allow billions of dollars of corporate tax avoidance every year.

true maybe for you, but for many a comprehensive and affordable public transport is a necessity for everyday life.

Transportation is something that affects every citizen living in the country - the need to own a car, and the associated congestion is taking away a lot of productive hours from people's lives. Especially with the return to office mandates that many companies are enforcing.

If we fund public transport properly then a lot of other funding requirements would go down e.g. less car crashes means less drain on the health system. Or e.g.: More public transport means less cars on the road so less emissions in our National total.

There is no issue that is more important than this. If public transport is fixed, the benefits will flow into helping fix other issues.

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

Public transportation in New Zealand is a very low aspect that New Zealand brings to the table compared to different countries. This is a weakness which is bringing down the tourism in new Zealand and is a downfall to tourism in New Zealand relying to much on the Uber or taxi scheme that is somewhat overpriced and a overall money making operation for tourists in New Zealand

If we don't take drastic actions to combat climate change we will be facing a survival crisis let alone “ more important issues”

NZ needs a lower reliance on cars. The country cannot meet its climate aims with the rate of car use.

Yes we do have more important issues. Education and Health. But we need free urban commuter transport in order to save the planet from ourselves. So we must do this as well.

All our other funding related issues are made continuously worse by our lack of investment in public transport

Other than health care public transportation is the next important problem. You can not live in New Zealand without a car.

Public transport is future proofing for our country’s infrastructure. Private vehicles in our main cities have no future

Car dependency creates weak towns, cities and communities. The ability for citizens to get to work, school and places in their community easily without the use of a private vehicle is integral for economic growth, the reduction of poverty and carbon emissions.
We are a country that thrives on tourism yet we have very few ways of moving people around cheaply, efficiently and easily.

New Zealand lacks very severely in the public transport system, how are we supposed to encourage people to use public transport when it is unreliable and doesn't run often enough. The billions of dollars being put toward roading infrastructure can surely be shared out to fund public transport initiatives.

Saving the planet is pretty damned important! And providing those who are struggling financially a viable transport option that doesn't cost more than they can afford helps lift them out of poverty

Car-less city planning could solve more issues, and create a better quality of life for more people in the future.

New Zealand is caught in a vicious cycle of building infrastructure and public transportation that is too late to reap the benefits. Our objective is too focused on the here and now, and "not having the demand" before it's too late and the cost to implement the solution is 10 ten times more expensive. We need to do better and push for change.

This mindset produces a cycle of dependency on cars, therefore car parks therefore space, therefore land, then no space for houses which need spaces for cars

Our urban environments are improving productivity and climate outcomes from more transport mode options. Cycle ways are also becoming a tourist attraction that increase wellbeing and economic outcomes into our communities.

Public transport will be hugely beneficial to the economy, if we have highly efficient trains to major and minor cities and good transport options in these cities then people can buy things easier instead of shopping online. I think this would have a massively positive impact on the economy.

More investment in public transport will have flow on effects that will drastically improve qulity of life for our country.

Super expensive transport for AKL airport, no nighttime options, extremely rare frequency of inter city transport. Improving transport = improving the economy

Again, listen to the experts. Climate change is our biggest risk transport is one of our biggest polluters. Can you see the relationship?

Public transport funding positively affects multiple policy areas - poverty, environment, social cohesion

Most people in my office in Auckland drive one car per person and don't use public transport because the public transport is always late or cancelled. In Wellington it is much more common to use public transport as it is run much better and therefore there is less congestion on the roads.

Hmmm… yes. “I’m going to buy more private houses and turn them into rentals, while buying more expensive trucks, boats and flight trips for no reason other than to flex my incredible wealth.” - very important reasons to not invest in public transport.

Public transport adds so much to a community, it helps with parking problems in CBD which will get more people in the CBD, condensed housing in the city without garages need access to public transport.

There is always road works and closures of roads, we need to get this sorted as soon as possible, it is ridiculous how many road works we have going on in New Zealand

I think a functioning public transport system is one of, if not the most important. The current system is a joke.

What more important issues do we have? I can't grt around nz without spending $300 return flights domestically