A list of advantages:
• Dramatic reduction, or end, of traffic congestion.
• Substantial reduction in traffic related pollution levels and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Substantial reduction in road accidents, deaths and injuries.
• Huge reduction in health costs related to traffic congestion and pollution: respiratory conditions, hospital admissions due to road accidents, stress related illnesses etc
• Cut noise pollution
· Reduction in polluted run-off water from roads into waterways & harbours
• Reduction in ‘road rage’ incidents
• Big reduction in fuel usage, waste and costs
• Reduction in insurance claims and costs.
• The finances and mobility of low-income people will be greatly improved, giving greater access to jobs, health facilities etc by removing cost constraints and coupled with better services.
· Enhanced accessibility and increased frequency of services will benefit disabled citizens.
• Reduce the number of school children currently being dropped off and picked up at school gates by car.
• Greatly reduced costs in road maintenance due to less wear and tear.
• Businesses able to cut their fleets of cars and thereby substantially reduce costs.
• Inner city building owners & developers will not need to assign so much valuable space to car parking
• Taxi services may be required less - surplus taxi drivers can be offered jobs as bus and tram operators or rail or ferry staff.
• A big reduction in the massive amount of time and productivity potential lost stuck in traffic each day. https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/gridlocked-aucklanders-spend-20-extra-working-days-year-stuck-in-traffic-study
• Increased health and fitness with encouragement and confidence due to safer walking & cycling opportunities.
• End assaults on bus drivers who will no longer carry cash boxes.
• Faster boarding times and an end to constant delays as passengers one-by-one fumble for change or cards or ID, ask directions and receive tickets etc.
· End the constant diversion and stress for drivers over ticket sales and monitoring ‘fare dodging’.
• Emergency vehicles will be able to get through without traffic congestion problems.
• The increased number of buses & trains will be available to be quickly seconded to rapidly evacuate large numbers of the population in event of an major earthquake or other civil emergency and reduce the likelihood of impassable chaos experienced in New Orleans during the Hurricane Katrina and Rita floods, where all interstate highways were clogged in total gridlock for 24 hours, resulting in almost as many deaths as the hurricanes inflicted.
• Abolish expensive ticketing and fare handling systems – fares only comprise a modest percentage of current income for public transport but impose an enormous (unnecessary) cost.
• End all problems of ‘fare dodging’ and ‘over-riding’ and disputes over fares. No need for teams of ticket inspectors & punitive measures.
· Bus & tram operators can focus on safe driving without being concerned with fare collecting and protecting a cash box.
• Public ownership & control will reinforce PT as a vital civic service focused solely on the mobility needs of the public.
• As the city becomes far more user-friendly, socially interactive, mobile and genuinely ‘liveable’ – rates are likely to fall.
• The new innovative free transit system is likely to become a major tourist draw-card – think of Melbourne and its popular trams. Tallinn promotes it’s green ‘fare-free capital of Europe’ as a unique and successful tourist attraction.
• Auckland could become a world-leading ‘clean-green liveable city’ renowned for transforming chronic traffic chaos into sensible urban mobility.
