Fuel price * New Zealand - Boost for Buses

Fuel price rises appear to be forcing Auckland drivers to ease off the gas as the region's public transport system comes under increasing pressure



Auckland,New Zealand -The New Zealand Herald, by Mathew Dearnaley -May 10, 2008: -- ... Petrol consumption fell 2.4 per cent to 93.4 million litres in the Auckland region in March from the same month last year, defying a national increase of 1.75 per cent... An even sharper drop of 4.7 per cent in the region's diesel use for March has surprised the Road Transport Forum, which reports continuing increases in consumption by freight firms nationally, despite the economic slowdown and a 37 per cent price rise over the past year... Auckland Regional Transport Authority reports more than double the patronage last month on the Northern Express bus service from April last year, when buses had to vie for motorway space with general traffic, before the advent of the busway enabled them to reduce trip times and improve reliability... (Video from YouTube, by stevenjenkins1983 - September 19, 2007: "Home from work", on the bus goin over Auckland harbour bridge )


* Slowly but surely, commuter habits are changing

Auckland,New Zealand -The New Zealand Herald -May 10, 2008: -- Northern Express buses carried almost 118,000 passengers last month for various distances between Britomart and Albany via the new busway - up 131 per cent from April last year... Suburban services feeding into the busway carried a further 26,840 passengers - a rise of 63 per cent...Figures are not yet available for bus services elsewhere in Auckland, but the transport authority expects to report a hefty increase for last month after an 8 per cent reduction in March to 4 million passengers from the same month last year... (Photo by Brett Phibbs - Motorbikes and scooters cram parking places at Auckland University)