Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Why Dr Wright is Wrong on Trolley Buses.
Malcolm Wright is correct, the trolley buses on Wellingtons streets are slow, small and ugly; however they don’t have to be that way. What Wellington needs are a modern refurbished trolley bus fleet and an urgent infrastructure upgrade. Stagecoach has plans to refurbish the entire fleet of 60 trolley buses, replacing the body, seats and windows –essentially new larger buses with some recycled parts being used. Contrary to what he writes and others statements advocating the removal of the trolley bus fleet I believe Wellingtonians want their iconic trolley buses upgraded and see a long-term future for them.
Trolley buses have clear advantages over diesel buses that justify their slightly higher price tag. They are cleaner, greener and quieter. I would also wager more popular too.’ Our trolley buses are the envy of other cities in New Zealand.
Dr Wright writes that there is ‘an environmental subsidy involved in buying trolley buses.’ -that they shift pollution to other communities and increase demand for burning coal. It would take a marketing professor to try and sell the argument that trolleys ‘aren’t even green.’ Trolley buses are powered by electricity from the national grid and because New Zealand does burn some coal and gas (roughly one third of electricity generation) with serious health and environmental effects, this isn’t green at all, but they are powered by roughly two thirds renewable energy –they are a greener option that diesel.
With Meridian’s project West Wind planning to build 70 turbines at Makara producing approximately 210 megawatts of electricity or more than Wellington’s electricity usage. Wellington’s fleet of 60 trolley buses would use less than half the electricity produced by one of these turbines. We would have a fleet of buses powered by the wind, capitalizing on our regions famed asset. On a still day the electricity would still come from the national grid and therefore some non-renewable electricity sources, but on the whole, West Wind will provide on average more electricity than Wellington uses. It is this sort of smart sustainable thinking of a public transport fleet powered by a non-polluting energy source that Wellington can brand its self as the capital of a clean, green New Zealand. Making the saying a reality not just a marketing slogan.
Dr Wright also argues that Wellington does not have a pollution problem and that the wind blows away any diesel particulate matter –‘nothing to worry about.’ I don’t know if you’ve ever been hit in the face by a plume of diesel exhaust as a bus drives past? I have and it’s not a pleasant experience. Trolley buses don’t produce any exhaust emissions. The diesel alternative has further drawbacks of energy supply insecurities and a rapidly increasing price. Diesel prices on average are only going to get more expensive over time; we need to be reducing our dependence on oil not increasing it.
Dr Wright fails to mention burning diesel’s most notorious by-product: Carbon dioxide, a climate changing greenhouse gas. The 60 trolley buses in Wellington saves 600 000 litres of diesel or 1620 tonnes of carbon dioxide. With climate change now only rejected by those on the fringes, and New Zealand signing the Kyoto protocol, it just does not make sense to get rid of the trolleys and encourage burning more climate changing fossil fuels. Transport makes up 40% of New Zealand’s C02 emissions, and scientists have been saying we may not have long left to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
Trolleys are the greenest public transport option available and our public leaders need to stop dithering and act to resolve the funding crisis between Stagecoach, Vector, Land Transport New Zealand and the Greater Wellington Regional Council. Would this council like to go down in history as the council that lost the trolley buses? I don’t believe this decision would be rewarded at the election booths come 2008. Any long-term strategic view incorporating the issues of international oil insecurities, rising oil prices, climate change and peak oil would recognise the trolleys importance. Maintaining the fleet gives us security of transport and is part of future proofing of country against external shocks.
The threatened Trolley buses have clear advantages over diesel buses and contrary to what Dr Wright says, are the green option, needed for Wellington’s future. That is why I have been on the street getting signatures on my petition to Land Transport NZ (LTNZ) calling on them to fund the trolley buses fairly. Currently LTNZ pays half of the operating costs for the trolley buses, but only to the level of half the equivalent costs of running a diesel bus, leaving a funding shortfall that the Regional Council has to pick up.
It is obvious that trolley buses have different costs associated with them, such as electric line maintenance and upgrades. LTNZ is mandated to promote sustainable transport, yet by using this absurd funding rate threatens their survival. The Transport Minister needs to convene a meeting between all the parties, and tell LTNZ to pay its half of the actual transport system –trolleys and all –and not just its diesel equivalent. This way the Council does not have to go cap in hand to the people of Wellington to make up the funding shortfall to save our trolleys.
Trolley buses have clear advantages over diesel buses that justify their slightly higher price tag. They are cleaner, greener and quieter. I would also wager more popular too.’ Our trolley buses are the envy of other cities in New Zealand.
Dr Wright writes that there is ‘an environmental subsidy involved in buying trolley buses.’ -that they shift pollution to other communities and increase demand for burning coal. It would take a marketing professor to try and sell the argument that trolleys ‘aren’t even green.’ Trolley buses are powered by electricity from the national grid and because New Zealand does burn some coal and gas (roughly one third of electricity generation) with serious health and environmental effects, this isn’t green at all, but they are powered by roughly two thirds renewable energy –they are a greener option that diesel.
With Meridian’s project West Wind planning to build 70 turbines at Makara producing approximately 210 megawatts of electricity or more than Wellington’s electricity usage. Wellington’s fleet of 60 trolley buses would use less than half the electricity produced by one of these turbines. We would have a fleet of buses powered by the wind, capitalizing on our regions famed asset. On a still day the electricity would still come from the national grid and therefore some non-renewable electricity sources, but on the whole, West Wind will provide on average more electricity than Wellington uses. It is this sort of smart sustainable thinking of a public transport fleet powered by a non-polluting energy source that Wellington can brand its self as the capital of a clean, green New Zealand. Making the saying a reality not just a marketing slogan.
Dr Wright also argues that Wellington does not have a pollution problem and that the wind blows away any diesel particulate matter –‘nothing to worry about.’ I don’t know if you’ve ever been hit in the face by a plume of diesel exhaust as a bus drives past? I have and it’s not a pleasant experience. Trolley buses don’t produce any exhaust emissions. The diesel alternative has further drawbacks of energy supply insecurities and a rapidly increasing price. Diesel prices on average are only going to get more expensive over time; we need to be reducing our dependence on oil not increasing it.
Dr Wright fails to mention burning diesel’s most notorious by-product: Carbon dioxide, a climate changing greenhouse gas. The 60 trolley buses in Wellington saves 600 000 litres of diesel or 1620 tonnes of carbon dioxide. With climate change now only rejected by those on the fringes, and New Zealand signing the Kyoto protocol, it just does not make sense to get rid of the trolleys and encourage burning more climate changing fossil fuels. Transport makes up 40% of New Zealand’s C02 emissions, and scientists have been saying we may not have long left to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
Trolleys are the greenest public transport option available and our public leaders need to stop dithering and act to resolve the funding crisis between Stagecoach, Vector, Land Transport New Zealand and the Greater Wellington Regional Council. Would this council like to go down in history as the council that lost the trolley buses? I don’t believe this decision would be rewarded at the election booths come 2008. Any long-term strategic view incorporating the issues of international oil insecurities, rising oil prices, climate change and peak oil would recognise the trolleys importance. Maintaining the fleet gives us security of transport and is part of future proofing of country against external shocks.
The threatened Trolley buses have clear advantages over diesel buses and contrary to what Dr Wright says, are the green option, needed for Wellington’s future. That is why I have been on the street getting signatures on my petition to Land Transport NZ (LTNZ) calling on them to fund the trolley buses fairly. Currently LTNZ pays half of the operating costs for the trolley buses, but only to the level of half the equivalent costs of running a diesel bus, leaving a funding shortfall that the Regional Council has to pick up.
It is obvious that trolley buses have different costs associated with them, such as electric line maintenance and upgrades. LTNZ is mandated to promote sustainable transport, yet by using this absurd funding rate threatens their survival. The Transport Minister needs to convene a meeting between all the parties, and tell LTNZ to pay its half of the actual transport system –trolleys and all –and not just its diesel equivalent. This way the Council does not have to go cap in hand to the people of Wellington to make up the funding shortfall to save our trolleys.
# posted by gareth @ 8:37 AM 
