Public transport improvements

Introduction

Public transport improvements comprise public transport service (or operational) activities that fall outside the definition of existing services and public transport infrastructure.

These are to be treated as improvement projects and must be identified separately to the public transport programme in the Approved Organisation’s funding proposal.

Public transport service improvements

There are two types of public transport service improvements:

• Base programme improvements that fall outside the definition of existing services:
  • Often incremental to existing programmes, these are submitted, considered and assessed as improvement projects,
  • They may comprise reconfigurations of existing services,
  • If funding is approved, they are managed as improvement projects for the duration of the NLTP,
  • At the start of the next NLTP, they may become part of existing services, subject to any conditions of funding that may exist, e.g. a requirement to meet a certain patronage level.
• Long term, significant programme improvements:
  • Generally large additions to existing programmes, these also are submitted, considered and assessed as improvement projects,
  • They may comprise capital expenditure that is proposed to be operationalised, most commonly as a long term loan,
  • They will be managed as improvement projects for the approved duration of their funding and are likely to be funded over a number of NLTPs.

Public transport service improvements use the same work categories as the

public transport programme, but need to be identified and submitted as improvement projects in Transport Investment Online.

Public transport infrastructure

Public transport infrastructure is funded under:

• Work category 531: Public transport facilities major renewals and improvements     

Any proposals under this work category are improvement projects and must be submitted as such in Transport Investment Online for consideration for inclusion in an RLTP.

Public transport minor improvements comprise improvement projects of $250,000 or less per project and should be developed as a programme for inclusion in the RLTP and NLTP. The minor improvements programme is to be negotiated and agreed with the NZTA and will be applied for through the Minor Improvements module in Transport Investment Online. Funding for the agreed programme will be approved when the NZTA Board adopts the NLTP. A minor improvements programme determined at 5% of the Approved Organisation's bus, ferry and rail services programme is guaranteed. Approved Organisations may apply for less or more than the 5% base. If an Approved Organisation applies for more than 5%, it must demonstrate the value for money that will be provided from the increased programme.

General guidance for preparing a transport programme for input to the RLTP and developing activities for funding approval is provided at this link.