Public passenger transport and the Christchurch City Council: A difficult journey along a road well travelled: A group report presented in partial fulfilment of the Degree of Master of Science in Resource Management

Abstract

The environment in which public passenger transport (PPT) in New Zealand operates is complex, with a diverse range of actors involved with various levels of influence. Public passenger transport is operating in a deregulated environment and is forced to compete in a free market economy. There is competition between PPT operators, and PPT generally has to compete with other modes of transport, particularly the private car. This has forced PPT into a position where it faces considerable uncertainties in the future. This report focuses on the Christchurch City Council (CCC), and asks the question "What options does the Christchurch City Council have to maintain and improve PPT in Christchurch in the short term?". The City Council is in a position to influence PPT in Christchurch through a range of policies including traffic management, parking, land use and infrastructure. The CCC is actively developing some initiatives for PPT. However policy and action tend to be reactive, and generally do not promote PPT. On the basis of these findings, a suggested policy design shows that future policy formulated by the CCC should consider integration on internal and external levels, be aware of causal links between effects, outcomes and constraints of policy design, and recognise how lobby group pressure impacts on policy design. The practicality of recommendations based on these findings must be addressed. Analysis illustrated the varying probability of policy being accepted by the CCC or acted upon if recommended. A model of agenda setting reveals and re-emphasises the complexity of the environment in which the CCC and PPT operate. Our recommendations reflect this complexity and the ability of the CCC to operate within this environment to maintain and improve PPT. On this basis, what options do the CCC have for maintaining and improving PPT in Christchurch in the short term? It is recommended that the CCC reorient its perspective on PPT to consider it as a method in implementing other policies, to anticipate future growth and demand, and incorporate an awareness of the consequences of other policies on PPT.