Labour’s decision to scrap the Public Transport Operating Model will take our public transport system backwards by removing a competitive market based approach to service delivery, National’s Transport spokesperson Simeon Brown says.

“Allowing Councils to bring bus, train and ferry services in-house will lead to a less efficient system, with more costs for taxpayers and ratepayers to pick up.

“An open tender process ensures transparency of costs, while competition keeps costs down.

“Councils can already improve the pay for bus drivers, as we have seen Auckland Council and Auckland Transport undertake in recent months, but this is not an excuse to effectively bring the operating of these services in-house.

“The Public Transport Operating Model was designed to keep costs down through increased competition and a market-based approach to service delivery.

“New Zealand’s public transport will go backwards because of these changes proposed by a Labour Party who believes Wellington knows best and government should run everything.

“National will ensure that public transport operations continue to be funded in a transparent way with a market based approach to delivery of public transport operations.”