Submission now finalised

We've now handed in our submission to NZTA. Thanks for your input.

Your participation is encouraged

Below is a draft submission on a new draft national standard for urban buses. Members of the CAN Legal group can edit the draft submission, and your participation is encouraged. If you don't want your writing to be edited mercilessly by others, do not submit it. Others with an account on our website can leave comments. The CAN Executive will make the final call on what gets submitted, as it is us who will continue to front up to meetings and work with officials. Enjoy the process.

Draft submission for amendment

The Cycling Advocates' Network (CAN) is pleased to present this submission on the draft New Zealand national minimum standard for urban buses.

The national Executive of the group has prepared this submission, with feedback from our membership. Some of our local member groups may also be making separate submissions. If you require clarification of any of the points raised by us, please feel free to contact us as detailed at the end of our submission.

The Cycling Advocates' Network Inc. (CAN) is New Zealand's national network of cycling advocacy groups. It is a voice for recreational, commuter and touring cyclists. CAN works with central government and local authorities, on behalf of cyclists, for a better cycling environment. CAN has affiliated groups and individual members throughout the country, and links with overseas cycling organisations.

In addition, many national, regional and local government authorities, transportation consultancies, and cycle industry businesses are supporting organisations.

General comment

CAN is supportive of the intention to improve the quality of public transport by defining minimum standards.

Specific feedback

We are surprised that the document is silent on bikes on buses. The issue is definitely of relevance to section 3 (accessibility), but other parts of the document would also need to deal with bikes on buses.

There is currently a bikes on buses trial in Christchurch, which is due to end in November 08. See http://www.metroinfo.org.nz/bikeRacks_Main.html

We are aware of the legal issues (the racks resulting in the buses no longer complying with the Vehicle Dimension of Mass Rule) and the trial nature of what is currently going on in Christchurch. We are concerned that these standards are being developed and they are totally silent on the major issue of bikes on buses.

In our opinion, it should not be up to Regional Councils to form an opinion on this, and do some research as to what can be done, but the standard should be used as an opportunity to give some guidance.

In our opinion, it would be much more in line with NZTA's multi-modal approach, the GPS and the NZTS if the standards at least flagged the issue, even if it's not fully resolved yet.

We suggest that taking bikes into the saloon on an urban bus is a much more problematic solution than what is currently being trialled, i.e. having bikes transported on racks in front of the bus. The major bike rack manufacturer in the US estimates that about 1 million trips are made by bikes on buses each month [http://www.bicycleracks.com/busracks.asp]. Hence, wouldn't it be helpful for Regions to let them know about this, and flag that front loaded solutions are currently being trialled? With the trial eventually having been completed, it would also be useful to state some commitment that the vehicle standards will be amended to reflect the outcome.