Gidday!

Transport 1 Minute

Every journey starts with a single step, perhaps some of them could do with a few more…

I’ve been a broadcaster for half my life, and a good proportion of that half has been lived in Wellington, New Zealand.

I grew up in Auckland, when the motor car was king, and the motorway was its throne.

That was all very fine in the 1970s and 80s. Then the roads began to fill up, and no matter how many more they build, the extra tar seal can’t match demand.

Wellington was held up as this country’s public transport paradise. Compact, convenient, cool. I’m sorry to have to tell you Wellington, but you’re getting more like Auckland every day.  And this is just the beginning.

There’s a tsunami of cars heading your way, thanks to motorway projects to your north.

I love driving, but I really don’t want Wellington to go through what Auckland has experienced, before it unclogs its motorway arteries, or at least builds alternatives to them. Which is why I’ve started this blog, and the podcast which goes with it.

I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think the penny’s dropped on the people of the capital yet.

Sometimes that’s not easy, when the answer to a question on how we get around, is almost a  tribal statement.

Are you with the car tribe? Forever being made to feel responsible for the planet’s downfall? Are you that cyclist copping abuse on the road, or perhaps in online comment forums? Are you a a public transport user? Simply ignored (until recently)?

I’m all of those, and you can add in ferry and walking as well. I could be suffering from naivety, but I’m after the common ground, because it is, literally. We’re talking about shared public spaces. They don’t need to be a battleground.

So, in the hope of a little more informed debate, and a little less tribalism, here is Episode One, of The Traffic Jam.

It’s about the buses.

Welcome aboard.

 

 

Published by deltaman

Published

7 thoughts on “Gidday!”

  1. Hi i enjoy your shows on the radio and will be looking forward to listening to your podcast

    Now I wondered have you thought about a podcast that might be about public transport but also It would be about how disable people get around Wellington
    what makes it easy what are the barriers what are the hassles for us to getting around Wellington city

    So as you may have guessed I’m a disabled person
    I am a blind person and use public transport and if you are following some of the online discussion over the weekend you would’ve seen that I was at the labour day gathering in Cuba mall yesterday
    Access to public transport or access to the city in general is really important to those of us with a disability or for those who just struggled to get up steps find things or just generally get around
    Keen to have a discussion with you if you think this might be of interest
    I also host a radio show on access radio called no labels and so would be keen to chat to you more about your role what you do and maybe you could be on no labels
    Many thanks regards Thomas

    Like

    Reply

  3. Well, I enjoyed that! As usual, lots of good talking points from the erudite Isabella, and lots of engaging special effects sounds and questions from old Crumpy. I listen to National Radio when i go to the bach for the weekend, as it makes it feel like I’m on holiday. Which it is, I guess. Inspired choice too, to have this discussion on the top floor of a bus in Wellington – although the background noises had me guessing – was the bus-driver tooting his/her horn a lot, or was there just a lot of horny noises? (if you know what i mean?).

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment