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Too big, too heavy and too slow to change: road transport is way off track for net zero

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/robin-smit-594126">Robin Smit</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-technology-sydney-936">University of Technology Sydney</a> The need to cut the emissions driving climate change is urgent, but it’s proving hard to decarbonise road transport in Australia. Its share of the nation’s total greenhouse gas emissions <a href="https://ageis.climatechange.gov.au/">doubled</a> from 8% in 1990 to 16% in 2020. New vehicles sold in Australia have <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-thought-australian-cars-were-using-less-fuel-new-research-shows-we-were-wrong-122378">barely improved</a> average emissions performance for the last decade or so. The federal government <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/climate-change/publications/australias-emissions-projections-2022">publishes</a> emission forecasts to 2035 – 15 years short of 2050, the net-zero target date. Our <a href="https://www.transport-e-research.com/_files/ugd/d0bd25_7a6920bdd9e8448385863a7c23ec9ecf.pdf">newly published study</a> forecasts road transport emissions through to 2050. The estimated reduction by 2050, 35–45% of pre-COVID levels in 2019, falls well short of what’s needed. Our findings highlight three obstacles to achieving net zero. These are: Australia’s delay in switching to electric vehicles; growing sales of large, heavy vehicles such as SUVs and utes; and uncertainties about hydrogen as a fuel, especially for freight transport. These findings point to policy actions that could get road transport much closer to net zero. <h2>How was this worked out?</h2> Emissions and energy use vary from vehicle to vehicle, so reliable forecasting requires a detailed breakdown of the on-road fleet. Our study <a href="https://www.transport-e-research.com/software">used</a> the Australian Fleet Model and the net zero vehicle emission model (n0vem). The study focused on so-called <a href="https://www.cummins.com/news/2022/05/26/well-wheel-emissions-simplified">well-to-wheel emissions</a> from fuel production, distribution and use while driving. These activities account for about 75–85% of vehicle emissions. (<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-climate-friendly-is-an-electric-car-it-all-comes-down-to-where-you-live-179003">Life-cycle assessment</a> estimates “cradle-to-grave” emissions, including vehicle manufacture and disposal.) Working with European Union colleagues, our emissions simulation drew on an updated <a href="https://www.transport-e-research.com/_files/ugd/d0bd25_7a6920bdd9e8448385863a7c23ec9ecf.pdf">EU scenario</a> (EU-27) showing the changes in the EU vehicle fleet needed to meet the latest (proposed) CO₂ targets. Our study assumed Australia will be ten years behind the EU across all vehicle classes. We further modified the scenario to properly reflect Australian conditions. For instance, the EU has a much higher proportion of plug-in hybrid vehicles than Australia, where buyers are now bypassing them for wholly electric vehicles. <h2>Energy use is shifting, but too slowly</h2> Using this modified scenario, the simulation produces a forecast fall in total wheel-to-wheel emissions from Australian transport from 104 billion tonnes (Mt) in 2018 to 55-65Mt in 2050. Within the range of this 35–45% reduction, the outcome depends largely on the balance of renewable and fossil-fuel energy used to produce hydrogen. The modelling nonetheless predicts a large shift in energy use in road transport in 2050, as 2019 was basically 100% fossil fuels. The on-road energy efficiency of battery electric vehicles is roughly twice that of fuel cell electric (hydrogen) vehicles and roughly three times that of fossil-fuelled vehicles of similar type. The modelling results make this clear. In 2050, battery electric vehicles account for about 70% of total travel, but 25% of on-road energy use and only about 10% of total emissions. In contrast, fossil-fuelled vehicles account for about 25% of total travel in 2050, 60% of energy use and 75-85% of emissions. That’s even allowing for expected efficiency improvements. This means the shift to a mostly electric fleet by 2050 plus the use of hydrogen is predicted to fall short of what’s needed to get to net zero. It will require aggressive new policies to increase the uptake of electric vehicles across all classes. <h2>Lighter vehicles make a big difference</h2> But that is not the whole story. One neglected issue is the growing proportion of <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-may-be-underestimating-just-how-bad-carbon-belching-suvs-are-for-the-climate-and-for-our-health-190743">big, heavy passenger vehicles</a> (SUVs, utes). This trend is very noticeable in Australia. The laws of physics mean heavier vehicles need much more energy and fuel per kilometre of driving, and so produce more emissions. Currently, a large diesel SUV typically emits a kilogram of CO₂ for every 3 kilometres of driving, compared to 15km for a light electric vehicle and 200 kilometres for an e-bike. An average electric vehicle currently emits 1kg of CO₂ every 7km. This distance is expected to be around 60km in 2050, when renewables power the electricity grid. A lightweight electric car will more than double the distance to 125km per kilogram of CO₂. Reducing vehicle weights and optimising energy efficiency in transport will be essential to meet emission targets. The study modelled the impacts of <a href="https://www.automotiveworld.com/special-reports/vehicle-lightweighting-2/">lightweighting</a> passenger vehicles while keeping buses and commercial vehicles the same. If Australians had driven only small cars in 2019 for personal use, total road transport emissions would have been about 15% lower. The reduction in emissions from simply shifting to smaller cars is <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/climate-change/publications/national-greenhouse-accounts-2019/national-inventory-report-2019">similar to</a> emissions from domestic aviation and domestic shipping combined. Importantly, lightweighting cuts emissions for all kinds of vehicles. <h2>The uncertainties about hydrogen</h2> Fuel cell electric vehicles using hydrogen account for only a few percent of all travel, but most will likely be large trucks. As a result, in our scenarios, they use a little over 10% of total on-road energy and produce 5-20% of total emissions, depending on the energy source used for hydrogen production and distribution. The modified EU scenario includes a significant uptake of hydrogen vehicles by 2050. That’s by no means guaranteed. The uptake in Australia has been negligible to date. That’s due to costs (vehicle and fuel), the need for new hydrogen fuel infrastructure, less mature technology (compared to battery electric vehicles) and limited vehicle availability. <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-must-rapidly-decarbonise-transport-but-hydrogens-not-the-answer-166830">Unresolved aspects</a> of hydrogen in transport include lower energy efficiency, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/for-australia-to-lead-the-way-on-green-hydrogen-first-we-must-find-enough-water-196144">need for clean water</a>, uncertainty about leakage, fuel-cell durability and value for consumers. <h2>How do we get back on track?</h2> Our study suggests Australia is on track to miss the net-zero target for 2050 mainly because of the large proportions of fossil-fuelled vehicles and large and heavy passenger vehicles. These two aspects could become targets for new policies such as public information campaigns, tax incentives for small, light vehicles, bans on selling fossil fuel vehicles and programs to scrap them. Other options to cut emissions include measures to reduce travel demand, optimise freight logistics and shift travel to public transport, to name a few. The study confirms the scale of the challenge of decarbonising road transport. Australia will need “all hands on deck” – government, industry and consumers – to achieve net zero in 2050.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208655/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/robin-smit-594126">Robin Smit</a>, Adjunct Associate Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-technology-sydney-936">University of Technology Sydney</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/too-big-too-heavy-and-too-slow-to-change-road-transport-is-way-off-track-for-net-zero-208655">original article</a>.

Travel Trouble

Why Air NZ is asking passengers to hop on the scales

Until July 2, passengers departing on international Air New Zealand flights from Auckland International Airport are being asked to step on the scales before their trip. New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority are making the request as part of a “weight survey” program - one required to take place every five years - and hoping to gather more information on the weight loads and distributions for aircrafts. “We weigh everything that goes on the aircraft - from the cargo to the meals onboard, to the luggage in the hold,” Air NZ’s load control improvement specialist Alastair James explained. “For customers, crew and cabin bags, we use average weights, which we get from doing this survey.” James went on to note that they are aware “stepping on the scales can be daunting”, as weight is a personal issue that many do not want to make public knowledge. And for any passengers with such concerns, the airline has promised to protect their privacy, with the data being kept anonymous. “We want to reassure our customers there is no visible display anywhere," he said. “No one can see your weight - not even us! It’s completely anonymous.” Two scales are to be set up in Auckland International Airport’s gate lounges - one that travellers will be asked to stand on, with their weight submitted for the survey, and another for their luggage in a separate weighing process. In order for the survey to be effective, 10,000 passengers must participate over the course of five weeks. “It’s simple, it’s voluntary,” James added, “and by weighing in, you’ll be helping us to fly you safely and efficiently, every time.” Air NZ’s project also means that passengers experiencing one of the world’s longest flights - the 17-hour flagship trip from Auckland to New York City’s JFK Airport - for the first time may find themselves asked to participate. It isn’t the first time the airline has requested its passengers hop on the scales before their trips either, with a similar survey taking place in 2021. And while the international research was meant to be conducted at an earlier date as well, the pandemic brought those plans to a temporary halt. And similar surveys are undertaken all across the globe, with Flight Global revealing that a survey by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency in 2022 discovered that the average weight of passengers has remained “relatively unchanged” for the past 15 years. Images: Getty

International Travel

How on-demand buses can transform travel and daily life for people with disabilities

People with disabilities arguably stand to gain the most from good public transport, but are continually excluded by transport systems that still aren’t adapted to their needs as the law requires. <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/ee5ee3c2-152d-4b5f-9901-71d483b47f03/aihw-dis-72.pdf.aspx?inline=true">One in six people</a> aged 15 and over with disability have difficulty using some or all forms of public transport. One in seven are not able to use public transport at all. Under the <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2018C00125">Disability Discrimination Act 1992</a>, Australia’s public transport systems were expected to be fully compliant with the 2002 <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/transport-accessibility">Transport Standards</a> by December 31 2022. Not only have many of our bus, train and tram systems <a href="https://www.disabilitysupportguide.com.au/talking-disability/public-transport-remains-inaccessible-as-20-year-targets-are-not-met">failed to meet these targets</a>, but the standards themselves are outdated. The standards are <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/transport-accessibility/2022-review-transport-standards">under review</a> and public consultation has begun. For buses, the standards <a href="https://www.mcw.com.au/why-public-transport-operators-must-review-their-vehicles-in-2022/">largely focus on the vehicles themselves</a>: low-floor buses, wheelchair ramps, priority seating, handrails and enough room to manoeuvre. But just because a vehicle is accessible doesn’t necessarily mean a bus journey is accessible. There are difficulties getting to and from the bus, limited frequency of accessible services, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17450101.2022.2126794">poor driver training, passenger conflict</a>, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/gusalexiou/2021/02/17/for-disabled-people-inclusive-transportation-is-about-much-more-than-lifts-and-ramps/?sh=322fc9c62b08">travel anxiety</a> and a lack of <a href="https://www.inclusivecitymaker.com/transport-accessibility-intellectual-disability/">planning for diversity</a>. In all these ways, bus travel excludes people with disabilities. <div data-id="17"> </div> Infrastructure alone cannot overcomes these issues. <a href="https://translink.com.au/travel-with-us/on-demand">On-demand transport</a>, which enables users to travel between any two points within a service zone whenever they want, offers potential solutions to some of these issues. It’s already <a href="https://sifted.eu/articles/viavan-on-demand-transport/">operating</a> in <a href="https://ringandride.org/">cities</a><a href="https://www.bcgomi.com/">overseas</a> and is being <a href="https://theconversation.com/1-million-rides-and-counting-on-demand-services-bring-public-transport-to-the-suburbs-132355">trialled in Australia</a>. <h2>Accessible vehicles are just the start</h2> Making vehicles accessible is really only the tip of the iceberg. Focusing only on infrastructure misses two key points: <ol> <li> our public transport journeys begin before we board the service and continue after we’ve left it </li> <li> accessibility means providing people with quality transport experiences, not just access to resources. </li> </ol> Let’s imagine a typical suburban bus journey. It is industry accepted that passengers are <a href="https://australasiantransportresearchforum.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2013_rose_mulley_tsai_hensher.pdf">generally willing to walk about 400 metres</a> to a bus stop. That is based, of course, on the assumption that passengers are able-bodied. Long distances, steep hills, neglected pathways, few kerb cuts and poorly designed bus shelters all hinder individuals with disabilities from getting to the bus in the first place. This issue resurfaced in the 2020 report <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/ee5ee3c2-152d-4b5f-9901-71d483b47f03/aihw-dis-72.pdf.aspx?inline=true">People with Disability in Australia</a>, by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. More than one in four respondents with disabilities said getting “to and from stops” was a major obstacle to using public transport. But other barriers to making services inclusive are even more difficult to see. People with disabilities are forced to plan extensively when to travel, how to travel, who to travel with and what resources they need to complete the journey. Even the best-laid plans involve <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/gusalexiou/2021/02/17/for-disabled-people-inclusive-transportation-is-about-much-more-than-lifts-and-ramps/?sh=322fc9c62b08">added emotional energy or “travel anxiety”</a>. <h2>What solutions are there?</h2> <a href="https://theconversation.com/1-million-rides-and-counting-on-demand-services-bring-public-transport-to-the-suburbs-132355">On-demand transport</a> offers potential solutions to some of these issues. Its key feature is flexibility: users can travel between any two points within a service zone, whenever they want. This flexibility can be harnessed to design more inclusive bus services. Without a fixed route or timetable, on-demand services can pick up passengers at their home and drop them directly at their destination. This door-to-door service eliminates the stressful journey to and from a bus stop and their destinations. And with services available on demand, users can plan their travel to complement their daily activities instead of the availability of transport dictating their daily activities. The technology behind on-demand transport also helps reduce the need for customers to consistently restate their mobility needs. Once a customer creates a profile, extra boarding and alighting time is automatically applied to all future bookings. This eliminates the exhaustive process of added planning, and enables drivers to deliver a better experience for all of their passengers. <h2>Examples of on-demand services</h2> Cities around the globe are already using on-demand services to overcome transport disadvantage for people with disabilities. BCGo is one such service in Calhoun County, Michigan. A recent yet-to-be-published survey of BCGo users shows 51% of respondents face mobility challenges that affect their ability to travel. Some 30% have “conditions which make it difficult to walk more than 200 feet” (61m). That means the industry’s assumed walkable distance (400m) is 6.5 times the distance that’s realistically possible for many users of the service. Ring & Ride West Midlands is the UK’s largest on-demand project. It operates across seven zones with over 80 vehicles. The service, recently digitised using <a href="https://www.liftango.com/">Liftango</a>’s technology, is designed to provide low-cost, accessible transport. It can be used for commuting, visiting friends, shopping and leisure activities. Ring & Ride serves as an example of how on-demand service can provide sustainable and equitable transport at scale. It’s completing over 12,000 trips per month. <h2>A call to action for Australian governments</h2> Government policy needs to address not only inadequate bus infrastructure, but those invisible barriers that continue to exclude many people from bus travel. We need a cognitive shift to recognise accessibility is about creating quality experiences from door to destination for everyone. This needs to be paired with a willingness to explore solutions like on-demand transport. Transport authorities worldwide are already embracing these solutions. We cannot continue to rely on the community transport sector to absorb the responsibility of providing transport for people with disabilities, particularly as <a href="https://theconversation.com/eight-simple-changes-to-our-neighbourhoods-can-help-us-age-well-83962">our populations age</a>. Now is the time to have your say. The Transport Standards are <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/transport-accessibility/2022-review-transport-standards">open for public consultation</a> until June 2023. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-on-demand-buses-can-transform-travel-and-daily-life-for-people-with-disabilities-199988" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Travel Tips

Disturbing twist in children's suitcase homicide

The two suitcases that contained the bodies of siblings in Auckland were reportedly moved from one unit storage to another before the harrowing discovery. Two children’s bodies were discovered in suitcases by an Auckland family who purchased the bags at an auction on August 11. It has now been revealed that the suitcases were moved in the second half of 2021 between different storage units at the same SafeStore Papatoetoe facility, <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/suitcases-containing-childrens-remains-were-moved-between-storage-units-a-year-before-harrowing-discovery/RWQQNLAU6HINPF6A5L6F2EOMIQ/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a> reported. A worker told the publication that there were dead flies and rats around the bags but no smell to indicate anything more damning. A SafeStore spokesperson refused to comment due to the ongoing police investigation in which a woman from South Korea, believed to be the children’s mother was arrested. The 42-year-old <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/woman-arrested-in-relation-to-dead-children-found-in-suitcases" target="_blank" rel="noopener">woman was arrested</a> by local police following a request from NZ Police. "South Korean authorities arrested the woman today on a Korean arrest warrant pursuant to two charges of murder relating to the two young victims," Detective Inspector Tofilau Faamanuia Vaaelua said at the time of the arrest. "The arrest warrant was issued by the Korean Courts as a result of a request by NZ Police for an arrest warrant under the extradition treaty between New Zealand and the Republic of Korea (South Korea). “NZ Police have applied to have her extradited back to New Zealand to face the charges and have requested she remain in custody whilst awaiting the completion of the extradition process.” At the time, Detective Inspector Vaaelua suggested that the children were aged 10 and five respectively when they died four years ago. The family who purchased the property where the suitcases were found are not involved in the deaths and have asked for privacy. Images: NZ Herald

Legal

Auckland leads by example to battle housing affordability

Relaxing planning rules could be the solution for the housing crisis, by both increasing the housing supply and helping rent and property prices to fall by as much as 12.5 percent, according to new research. After Auckland “up-zoned” three quarters of the city in 2016, meaning that townhouses, terraces and units were allowed to be built within 20 kilometres of the CBD under the city’s planning laws, the number of homes in the New Zealand city has increased by five percent over the past five years, according to the report, The Impact of Up-zoning on Housing Construction in Auckland. Dr Ryan Greenaway-McGrevy, a University of Auckland professor of economics and one of the report’s authors, said that relaxing planning laws helped increase housing supply significantly “The punchline is the policy did encourage, certainly, higher rates of construction and dwelling stock,” Greenaway-McGrevy told <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/how-to-make-housing-cheaper-according-to-new-research-20220725-p5b4e0.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sydney Morning Herald</a>. “And it will increase over time.” As for housing affordability crises in other countries and cities, Greenaway-McGrevy said broad applications of up-zoning - rather than selective applications attempted in other countries - was the key to Auckland’s success. “The point of difference [in Auckland] is just the sheer pervasiveness of the up-zoning policy. We’re not talking about transit-oriented up-zoning areas. We’re talking about the close-to-blanket inner suburban area of Auckland,” he said. “We’ve had a larger area of construction and a much higher uptake.” “If cities are considering up-zoning they really need to shy away from only small, targeted areas that are permitted to build up and think about implementing the policy more broadly. “I certainly think any policymakers or commentators thinking about how to tackle housing affordability in Sydney and Melbourne should look to Auckland in greater detail.” He said up-zoning can also decrease the construction cost of property types that aren’t land-intensive, such as townhouses, apartments and terraces, while also meaning that fewer households would be consigned to far-flung urban areas and required to use carbon emissions-heavy commuting. Greenaway-McGrevy added that these benefits far outweigh the costs of preserving a city’s heritage by banning high-density properties within a certain proximity. “At this point, is it worth, as a society, preserving those character neighbourhoods when it comes at the cost of housing that costs 10 times incomes or more, forcing young families into these really long commutes where they don’t have time to spend with their kids?” he said. “If you’re interested in preserving the heritage of a suburb, I’d suggest we focus on the people, and the kinds of people and kinds of families that make up those suburbs rather than the buildings.” Peter Tulip, the chief economist for the Centre for Independent Studies, said the research showed that allowing for more buildings to be constructed resulted in a reduction in property prices. “A substantial relaxation of planning restrictions would enable more construction and hence less expensive housing,” Tulip said. “A standard rule of thumb is that every percentage point in the housing stock lowers the cost of housing by 2.5 per cent. So, a 5 per cent increase in housing stock would lower the cost of housing by 12.5 per cent.” Meanwhile, Grattan Institute’s economic policy program director Brendan Coates said increasing the stock of homes across Australian major cities would reduce rental costs and property prices by at least 10 percent. He noted that current planning laws heavily favour existing homeowners, and that prioritising heritage over supply would turn our cities into “living mausoleums”. “There’s a trade-off: you can either accept more housing will be built that have good access to amenities … Or you accept your kids or your grandkids don’t have a home near where you live, and Australia as a society will be poorer than it should be because we fail to build the housing we need to accommodate our growing population,” Coates said. “Heritage, for example, is an incredibly expensive way of protecting our memory of our cities’ history. You basically turn Australian cities into living mausoleums.” Image: Getty Images

Real Estate

Four people injured in stabbing frenzy

Four members of the public have been horrifically stabbed in what police have described as an “isolated” incident. The alleged offender randomly stopped four people in Murrays Bay on Auckland's North Shore about 11.18am on Thursday before stabbing them with “quite a large knife”. Another member of the public stepped in and stopped the alleged attacker with a clutch before police apprehended him. Luckily, none of the victims were severely injured but are being treated in hospital. Waitematā district commander Superintendent Naila Hassan commended the random person’s efforts, saying it could have been “a lot worse”. "This was an isolated incident," she said. "This offender was on the move, he was on foot, it started in Murrays Bay [where he stabbed members of the public], and he continued to walk through to Mairangi Bay. "A number of members of the public were following him and eventually one of them intervened. "It could've been a lot worse and that's why I really need to acknowledge the bravery of those members of the public that intervened to bring this to a conclusion." Superintendent Hassan gave a special shoutout to the members of the public who helped prevent the situation from getting any worse. "I really need to acknowledge the bravery of the members of the public who intervened," she said. A thank you to the public was also released on the North Shore, Rodney & West Auckland Police Facebook page. “We would like to acknowledge members of our community for their actions, who put aside their own personal safety to get involved in the events earlier today,” the statement read. “Whilst Police generally discourage intervening, we greatly appreciated their efforts today which undoubtedly prevented further harm. “We also want to thank those who called emergency services. “Understandably the community will be shaken by what has occurred today and I would like to reassure them that this was an isolated incident and we have the person responsible in custody. “There will be an increased Police presence across the community as a result of what has occurred. “We would like to thank the community for their patience as scene examinations and area canvases taking place.” The alleged attacker remains in North Shore Hospital under police guard where he is being treated for his injuries. He is yet to be charged. Image: RNZ

News

Commuters rejoice! Auckland’s first electric ferries to set sail in 2024

Two electric ferries are expected to be in the waters of Auckland by 2024 after the New Zealand government announced it would contribute $27 million in funding for the project. Minister of Energy and Resources Megan Woods made the announcement outside Auckland’s downtown ferry terminal, confirming that the funds would come from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, as reported by <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/128452777/government-commits-27m-for-electric-ferries-in-auckland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stuff</a>. The funds will also cover the majority of the project’s costs and will account for approximately 75 percent of the cost to build the two ferries. “This project will be a major boost to the rapidly developing maritime clean technology sector in New Zealand and will further upskill the maritime transport sector in New Zealand,” Ms Woods said. “This is a boost for our climate goals and our economy, which is especially vital as we continue our economic recovery from COVID-19.” With the city’s current, ageing fleet of ferries accounting for nearly seven percent of public transport journeys and about 20 percent of public transport emissions, Climate Change Minister James Shaw said the new ferries were “another important step” in working towards a low emissions future. “As a harbour city, getting around by ferry is the norm for many thousands of Auckalnders,” Mr Shaw said. “Today’s announcement means that instead of fossil fuels powering many of those journeys, people will be getting around in ways that help create a climate-friendly, prosperous future for New Zealand.” The ferries, developed by Auckland-based <a href="https://evmaritime.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EV Maritime</a>, will also contribute to Auckland City Council’s commitment to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, which requires transport emissions to be slashed by 64 percent. They have been developed with a range capable of covering several routes in Auckland’s inner and mid-harbour with a design similar to the electric ferry running in Wellington. Ms Woods announced the government would also be supporting 15 big businesses to move away from using fossil fuels in their production processes, providing $13 million in funding that will be matched by $32.66 million from private industry. “In partnering with the private sector through the third round of the Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry (GIDI) Fund we’re helping clean up production processes, and helping business stay ahead of the curve.” It comes just months after the first electric passenger ferry in the Southern Hemisphere <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/wellington-top-stories/127908781/electric-ferry-makes-maiden-passenger-voyage-across-wellington-harbour" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made its maiden journey</a> across Wellington’s harbour. The Ika Rere (“flying fish”) in Wellington can carry a maximum of 135 passengers - compared to the 99-person limit of its diesel predecessors - while its Auckland counterparts will seat up to 200 people. Image: EV Maritime (Facebook)

Domestic Travel

10 bike-friendly cities around the world

Amsterdam, The Netherlands When counting down the world’s most bike-friendly cities, where else but Amsterdam could take the top spot? With more bikes than people, the city is structured with cyclists in mind. Low speed limits in the centre curb the impact of the four-wheeled menace, while bike racks on public transport make it easy to take a load off if the saddle gets to be too much. Rental shops are ubiquitous, the terrain is famously flat, and an online bike-specific route planner makes it especially easy for non-locals to get around. Further afield, a countryside of tulip fields and windmills lies within a 30-minute ride from the city centre. It’s no wonder almost half of Amsterdammers commute on two wheels. Copenhagen, Denmark Not riding a bike in Copenhagen is like not riding the trains in India – you’re missing out on a quintessential part of the experience. It’s just a nice bonus that riding a bike is the most convenient way to wander around Copenhagen’s best attractions. Bike lanes abound, as do bike lane-specific traffic signalling. Montreal, Canada If there’s one city in North America built for bicycles, it’s Montreal. However, it’s only been in the past decade that the city has exploited its compact size for the benefit of the cyclist, installing hundreds of kilometres of bike lanes around the city, many segregated from traffic. Coupled with a thriving bike culture and scenic routes around and to its most famous parks, the city makes hopping on a bike an easy decision. And if you don’t already have one, Montreal is home to Bixi, the public bike share company that has exported its modular bike share system technology around the world. Bogota, Colombia Bogota’s ciclorutas crisscross the city, offering cyclists the chance to explore the Colombian capital in the company of the locals. It is by far the most bike-friendly city in South America, with arguably the most extensive bike path network in the world. The cycling network has been integrated with the local bus system, which offers bike parking at stops and stations, and it has been specifically designed to allow bike traffic to flow over Bogota’s topography. Each Sunday several primary and secondary roads are closed to automobiles for the leisurely enjoyment of cyclists and pedestrians. Barcelona, Spain Cycling has been a part of Barcelona’s infrastructure for ages. Any visit to tourist districts of the city will uncover a dozen or more bike tour operators vying for your business. Of course, this enthusiasm for cycling implies that it’s just as easy to tour the sights of the city on your own. In a few hours of riding you can see the iconic Gaudi sculptures in Parc Guell, the Sagrada Familia, the massive Nou Camp soccer stadium and the famous cityside sand of Barcelona beach. The city’s protected cycle lanes and well-signed navigational aids will ensure that you won’t get lost. Berlin, Germany With more than 1,000 kilometres of bike paths, the vast majority of which are protected lanes, it’s no wonder that Berliners love to get around by bike. For the traveller, the major sights are within easy reach on a bicycle. For a true taste of the Berlin bike lifestyle, it’s best to take in a sunny afternoon at the vacant Tempelhof airport, where locals cycle and rollerblade up and down the abandoned runways. Perth, Australia Western Australia’s isolated capital is actually one of the most liveable metropolises in the world thanks to glorious weather and smart city design. A large chunk of the intelligent infrastructure work has come in the form of hundreds of kilometres of bike paths, which allow Perthites to get into and around their city with ease. Commuters enjoy bike lockers and change stations, which are found across the city. For the visitor, numerous scenic routes line the coastline and the local Swan River. What’s more, the best way to see Rottnest Island, a vehicle-free nature park just next to the city, is naturally by bicycle. Paris, France Paris’ Velib’ Métropole public bike sharing system provides everything you need to explore the almost 500 kilometres of bike paths around the French capital. And with so much to see, it’s nice to know that a healthy chunk of those bike paths is protected from manic Parisian motorists. The greatest feature of Paris’ bike system, however, is its ubiquity. A Velib’ station is almost always within sight, or just around the next corner. So after a moonlight cruise past the Eiffel Tower or a sunny ride down the Seine, you need not worry about being left in the lurch. Tokyo, Japan The mega-city of Tokyo has one of the most expansive and futuristic public transit networks on the planet, but its residents still swarm the streets (and sidewalks!) on their bicycles. Though the extent of bike lanes is still limited compared to other transit infrastructure, safe drivers help ease the tension between car and cyclist. Unique automated underground bike parking garages provide for a bit of a technological thrill when you need to stash your ride. Meanwhile, cycling tours of Tokyo are as popular as bike commuting is with the locals, as it’s the best way explore the world’s largest city on a more intimate level. Portland, Oregon, USA American cities are historically notoriously anti-bike. The road networks and suburbs were built for automobiles, long commutes and few pedestrians. But Portland, America’s favourite oddball and progressive city, is decidedly at the forefront of the American bicycle revolution. More than its ubiquitous bike lanes and popular bike share program, the thing that sets Portland apart is the rabid bike culture. The city boasts more cyclists per capita than anywhere else in the USA, and many restaurants and cafes maintain bicycle parking racks. However, the biggest upshot of all this for the visitor whose chain has fallen off is that seemingly every second person is also a bike mechanic. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/travel/destinations/10-bike-friendly-cities-around-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

International Travel

Gun pulled during fight outside New Zealand school

A brawl between students at a high school turned vicious when one of them pulled a gun and pointed it at another girl’s head. Horrific footage shows the teenagers punching and yanking each other’s hair in front of shocked students at Otahuhu College in Auckland on Thursday. Suddenly, a student dressed in all black is marching toward another waving the gun around yelling: “You touch my sister again, touch her, touch her.” She approaches the other girl and holds the gun to her head telling her to go away. “Get the f*** out of here right now,” she yells. Principal Neil Watson confirmed that police were investigating the incident but it is still unclear whether or not the gun was real. “We have a member of the public with what looks like a firearm. We’re helping the police with their inquiries, and our priority is the safety and security of our families and students,” he told <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/gun-drawn-during-fight-between-auckland-high-school-students/UNNRMV2JWDWQSXID6MVTVRROHQ/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a>. The publication was sent the video by a worried police, as police confirm they have begun their enquiries. “It was a report of a group of people fighting. Inquiries are underway to speak to those involved to establish the circumstances.” Watch the incident <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/gun-drawn-during-fight-between-auckland-high-school-students/UNNRMV2JWDWQSXID6MVTVRROHQ/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Image: NZ Herald

News

Take an art-filled tour of Auckland from anywhere in the world

There’s a new way to explore Auckland that combines public art and marine conservation - and you don’t even have to be in the country to experience it. The <a href="https://whaletales2022.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Whale Tales</a> project, launched by WWF-New Zealand, consists of 80 Brig Broos (large) and 80 Pēpi (mini) whale tail sculptures located throughout Auckland’s public spaces which can be explored in-person and via a virtual trail. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaydQJQlp-x/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaydQJQlp-x/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by WWF Whale Tales 2022 (@whaletales2022)</a> </div> </blockquote> Each sculpture has been designed by artists from across New Zealand and comes with a story, accessed via the Whale Tales app, about the artist and what each artwork represents. The trail stretches from Pukekohe across to the Great Barrier and Waiheke Islands. It was conceptualised to “capture the hearts of kiwis, near and far,” and catalyse “positive action to protect Bryde’s whales and restore our ocean’s health”, according to a <a href="https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK2202/S00427/wwf-whale-tales-goes-global-with-a-one-of-a-kind-virtual-trail.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement </a>from WWF-NZ. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CZycvJyJTNd/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CZycvJyJTNd/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Kate Hursthouse | NZ Artist (@katehursthouse)</a> </div> </blockquote> WWF-NZ chief executive Livia Esterhazy said Bryde’s whales are vulnerable to plastic pollution, unsustainable fishing practices, climate change, and other human activities. “Bryde’s whales are an indicator of ocean health. If our whale populations are healthy and thriving, it is a sign our ocean is also healthy and thriving,” Ms Esterhazy <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/300500961/whale-tales-auckland-art-project-sheds-light-on-plight-of-brydes-whales" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. The tales will be on display for 12 weeks, during which time there will also be light shows on the harbour bridge, seminars, and the launch of Hauraki Broo, a children’s book about the importance of conserving marine life. At the end of the display, the Big Broos sculptures will then be auctioned off to raise funds for WWF-NZ, while the Pēpi sculptures will be returned to the schools that made them. “So not only can you own an incredible piece of art, but the funds raised will go to support WWF’s vital work to protect our ocean and marine species, like the Hauraki Gulf’s national critically-endangered resident Bryde’s whale,” Ms Esterhazy said. To view the virtual tour, head <a href="http://trail.whaletales2022.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Image: @whaletales2022 (Instagram)

Domestic Travel

As Aucklanders anticipate holiday trips, Māori leaders ask people to stay away from regions with lower vaccination rates

Despite the emergence of the new Omicron variant, New Zealand will move to a new <a href="https://covid19.govt.nz/traffic-lights/covid-19-protection-framework/">COVID-19 Protection Framework </a> this Friday, with a traffic light system to mark the level of freedoms for each region. Auckland and other parts of the North Island that are battling active outbreaks or have low vaccination rates will start at red, which means hospitality and businesses will be largely open only for fully vaccinated people. The rest of the country will be in orange, which allows for larger gatherings but restricts access for those who remain unvaccinated. From December 15, the Auckland boundary will lift and Aucklanders will be free to travel around the country, despite the ongoing community outbreak in which <a href="https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-data-and-statistics/covid-19-case-demographics#vaccinations-details">23% of cases have been children under 12 and 14% were fully vaccinated</a>. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434350/original/file-20211129-13-pa5w88.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Map of traffic light COVID-19 Protection Framework" /> Parts of the North Island will continue to have restrictions in place, particularly for people who remain unvaccinated, once New Zealand shifts to a new system on Friday. Provided, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/" class="license">CC BY-NC</a> To travel outside the Auckland boundary, anyone aged 12 or over will need to be fully vaccinated or have had a negative COVID-19 test within three days of departure. This will reduce the number of infected people leaving Auckland, but cases will spread across the country as people travel to see whānau and go on holidays. As part of our research to build a <a href="https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2021/04/15/super-model-for-team-of-5m.html">population-based contagion network</a>, we used electronic transaction data from previous years to derive movement patterns across the country. We show that during weeks without public holidays, just over 100,000 travellers left Auckland to visit one or more other regions. For the summer period of 2019-2020, close to 200,000 people left Auckland each week, with travel peaking over the Christmas and New Year period. The most common destinations for these trips were Thames-Coromandel (30,000 people), Tauranga (17,000 people) and Northland (15,000 people). <h2>Vaccination remains the best protection</h2> While full (two-dose) vaccination levels in Auckland are almost at 90% — remembering that 90% of eligible people means only about 75% of the total population, with lower rates for Māori — rates are much lower in many places Aucklanders like to visit over summer. This provides much less protection, against both illness and transmission, and any outbreak would be larger and more rapid. Vaccination coverage in these areas is increasing but is unlikely to be at 90% before Christmas. Holiday destinations also have health infrastructure designed for the much lower local population and face additional pressures if visitors get sick. New Zealand’s outdoor summer lifestyle might be an advantage; transmission is greatly reduced outdoors with good air movement. But people should remain mindful anytime they move into an environment with less ventilation, such as using the toilet at the beach or sharing a car. A good rule of thumb is if you can smell perfume in the air then there’s a transmission risk. COVID-19 is passed on through the air we breathe, which is why masking remains important, as long as the mask <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/proper-mask-wearing-coronavirus-prevention-infographic">fits properly</a>. People planning to travel should reduce their risk of exposure during the two weeks before a trip. <ul> <li> Skip the office party (especially if they are held indoors) </li> <li> consider postponing meetings until after the holidays rather than having them during the days before people are likely to travel around the country </li> <li> if you decide to go ahead, make sure gatherings and parties are outdoors </li> <li> avoid alcohol as it can increase the likelihood of risky behaviour </li> <li> limit yourself to one meeting per week (if someone is infected, you’ll have a better chance to find out and self-isolate before passing it on) </li> <li> use your contact tracer app, always </li> <li> shop online </li> <li> wear a mask anywhere there is a crowd, even outdoors. </li> </ul> <h2>Protecting people in regions with lower vaccination rates</h2> Vaccination is the best step to reduce spread and symptom severity. But it’s not perfect. The risk of “breakthrough” infections depends on the intensity of exposure – short exposure to an infected person is less likely to result in infection and meeting indoors poses a higher risk. When people are vaccinated, we’d expect to see most transmission happening in dwellings where people are together for long periods of time. For anyone with a breakthrough infection, vaccination approximately halves the chance of transmitting the virus. Vaccination also reduces the risk of developing symptoms, and greatly reduces the risk of needing hospitalisation. But having milder symptoms can make it harder to detect cases, which means it remains important to get tested. The most popular places New Zealanders like to visit over summer are remote and people living there haven’t had the same easy access to vaccination as those living in bigger cities. Nearly a third of Northland’s eligible population remains unvaccinated, the East Cape is only 65% fully vaccinated and parts of the Coromandel Peninsula are also sitting well under ideal vaccination rates. These places also have fewer testing facilities, which could mean outbreaks become harder to detect and manage. Many rural communities aren’t connected to town supply, so wastewater testing won’t be as useful, and emergency medical attention is harder to access. <h2>Planning to manage COVID infections</h2> Many residents in these remote towns, including <a href="https://waateanews.com/2021/11/18/border-opening-no-christmas-treat-for-taitokerau/">iwi leaders</a>, are <a href="https://tinangata.com/2021/11/21/painting-a-covid-picture/">asking holiday makers to stay away</a>, regardless of vaccination status. Māori are already disproportionately represented in our COVID-19 statistics and have more young people who can’t be vaccinated yet. By travelling to areas with low vaccination rates among the Māori population we risk <a href="https://www.newsroom.co.nz/people-will-die-at-home-covids-unstoppable-summer">compounding tragedy</a> in places where health services would not cope with the level of illness. Anyone choosing to go on holiday after weighing these factors should have a plan for what they’ll do if they or someone on their group develops COVID-like symptoms while away from their usual health support systems. Questions to ask include: <ul> <li> Where will you go to get a test? </li> <li> What will you do while you wait for test results? </li> <li> Will it be possible for you to self-isolate while you wait for a test result? </li> <li> Where is the closest medical centre? Do they operate after hours? </li> <li> Is there an ambulance service and how far is the nearest hospital? </li> <li> Is there good phone reception? If not, what will you do in a health emergency? </li> <li> How would you manage an outbreak in your holiday accommodation? </li> </ul> Campers should take extra precautions by wearing masks in shared kitchens and bathrooms and using their own cleaning and hygiene products. They should keep good social distance wherever possible and minimise contact with people they don’t know. Family gatherings will also bring together different generations, with elders who may be more vulnerable and younger people who are more mobile and more likely to be infected. A group of New Zealanders who experienced COVID-19 put together a <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1e2v-rOztBgQfFBKHJN0R59RrinRtq2RmjuFhEZP9JfM/edit#gid=0">management kit</a> with a list of things anyone travelling will find useful. We would like to acknowledge the contribution of Kylie Stewart, a member of the team at Te Pūnaha Matatini and the HRC-funded project <a href="https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2021/04/15/super-model-for-team-of-5m.html">Te Matatini o te Horapa</a> — a population-based contagion network for Aotearoa New Zealand.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/172682/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dion-oneale-1283438">Dion O'Neale</a>, Lecturer - Department of Physics, University of Auckland; Principal Investigator - Te Pūnaha Matatini, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-auckland-1305">University of Auckland</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-sporle-1151937">Andrew Sporle</a>, Honorary associate professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-auckland-1305">University of Auckland</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emily-harvey-1284406">Emily Harvey</a>, Principal Investigator, Te Pūnaha Matatini, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-auckland-1305">University of Auckland</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/steven-turnbull-1280540">Steven Turnbull</a>, Te Pūnaha Matatini Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-auckland-1305">University of Auckland</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-aucklanders-anticipate-holiday-trips-maori-leaders-ask-people-to-stay-away-from-regions-with-lower-vaccination-rates-172682">original article</a>. Image: Phil Walter/Getty Images

Travel Tips

Billions are pouring into mobility technology – will the transport revolution live up to the hype?

Over the past decade almost <a href="https://files.pitchbook.com/website/files/pdf/PitchBook_Q4_2019_Emerging_Tech_Research_Mobility_Tech_Executive_Summary.pdf">US$200 billion</a> has been invested globally in mobility technology that promises to improve our ability to get around. More than US$33 billion was invested last year alone. Another measure of interest in this area is the <a href="https://travelandmobility.tech/lists/unicorns/">number of unicorns</a>, which has doubled in the past two years. A unicorn is a privately held startup company valued at US$1 billion or more. In early 2018 there were 22 travel and mobility unicorns. By last month the number had grown to 44. The top categories in the mobility area are: ride hailing, with 11 unicorns (25.0%); autonomous vehicles, with ten (22.7%); and micromobility, with three (6.8%). The remaining 20 unicorns are in the travel category (hotels, bookings and so on). Mobility technology is more than just autonomous vehicles, ride hailing and e-scooters and e-bikes. It also includes: electrification (electric vehicles, charging/batteries); fleet management and connectivity (connectivity, data management, cybersecurity, parking, fleet management); auto commerce (car sharing); transportation logistics (freight, last-mile delivery); and urban air mobility. Promised solutions, emerging problems Much of the interest in mobility technology is coming from individuals outside the transport arena. Startups are attracting investors by claiming their technology will solve many of our transport problems. Micromobility companies believe their e-scooters and e-bikes will solve the “<a href="https://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/9780784413210.007">first-mile last-mile</a>” problem by enabling people to move quickly and easily between their homes or workplaces and a bus or rail station. While this might work in theory, it depends on having <a href="https://theconversation.com/fork-in-the-road-as-danish-and-dutch-style-cycle-routes-spread-19744">safe and segregated bicycle networks</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/people-love-the-idea-of-20-minute-neighbourhoods-so-why-isnt-it-top-of-the-agenda-131193">frequent and widely accessible public transport</a> services. Ride-hailing services might relieve people of the need to own a car. But <a href="https://www.som.com/ideas/publications/som_thinkers_the_future_of_transportation">there is evidence</a> to suggest these services are <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-ride-hail-utopia-that-got-stuck-in-traffic-11581742802">adding to traffic congestion</a>. That’s because, unlike taxis, more of their time on the road involves travelling without any passengers. Navigation tools (Google Maps, Apple Maps, Waze) have <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Maps">been around longer</a> than most other mobility technologies and are meant make it easier to find the least-congested route for any given trip. However, <a href="https://people.eecs.berkeley.edu/~theophile/docs/publications/Cabannes_19_ACM.pdf">research</a> suggests these tools might not be working as intended. The <a href="https://www.som.com/ideas/publications/som_thinkers_the_future_of_transportation">backlash</a> against them is growing in some cities because traffic is being directed onto neighbourhood streets rather than arterial roads. Autonomous vehicles have the goal of reducing injuries and deaths from car crashes. Only a few years ago many bold predictions were being made that these self-driving vehicles would be having positive impacts by now, but this hasn’t happened. The enthusiasm for autonomous vehicles has cooled. <a href="https://www.vtpi.org/avip.pdf">Some now believe</a> we won’t see many of the social benefits for decades. The final mobility tech area is known as mobility as a service (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobility_as_a_service">MAAS</a>). It’s basically a platform designed to make better use of existing infrastructure and transport modes. MAAS begins with a journey planner that is linked to one-stop payment for a range of mobility services – ride-hailing, e-scooters, e-bikes, taxis, public transport, and so on. MAAS is the newest entrant in the mobility tech field. It has attracted US$6.8 billion to date, but is expected to grow to <a href="https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/mobility-as-a-service-market-78519888.html">over US$100 billion by 2030</a>. This idea is creating great enthusiasm, not only among private entrepreneurs, but also in the public sector. It’s too early to know whether it will improve transportation. 3 trends are driving investment So, why do venture capitalists <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnfrazer1/2019/03/11/new-mobility-worth-billions-venture-capital-thinks-so/#198cda2247d8">continue to show so much interest</a> in mobility technology startups despite poor company performance to date? It appears they believe personal mobility will become increasingly important. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnfrazer1/2019/03/11/new-mobility-worth-billions-venture-capital-thinks-so/#198cda2247d8">Three trends</a>support this belief. First, urban dwellers increasingly value the ability to move around easily. It’s thought to be a key ingredient for a liveable city. The problem is public transport is often not very good, particularly in the US and in outer suburbs in Australia. This is due to historically low funding relative to roads. The prospect of more funding and better public transport services in the future is not good. In part that’s because many <a href="https://www.vox.com/2015/8/10/9118199/public-transportation-subway-buses">view public transport as welfare</a> and not an essential public service. Thus, if cities want to become more liveable and competitive, they must look beyond government-funded public transport for other mobility alternatives. The second trend is declining vehicle ownership. Since 1986 US sales of car and light trucks per capita have dropped by <a href="https://www.advisorperspectives.com/dshort/updates/2020/02/04/vehicle-sales-per-capita-our-latest-look-at-the-long-term-trendh">almost 30%</a>. In Australia, new car sales <a href="https://www.budgetdirect.com.au/car-insurance/research/australian-car-sales-statistics.html">remained relatively constant</a> over the past decade, but a <a href="http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/7982-new-vehicle-purchase-intention-march-2019-201905240039">decline since 2017 is expected to continue</a>. These trends are due in part to the cost of owning a vehicle, but also because of a growing view that owning a car may not be necessary. This brings us to the third trend, which involves demographics and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/delay-in-getting-driving-licences-opens-door-to-more-sustainable-travel-57430">post-millennial desire for access to mobility</a> services <a href="https://theconversation.com/car-ownership-is-likely-to-become-a-thing-of-the-past-and-so-could-public-transport-110550">rather than vehicle ownership</a>. These trends, combined with expectations of an upward trend in prices of these services, suggests there may be good times ahead for ride-hailing and micromobility companies. It also means venture capital funding for these startups will not be diminishing in the near future. The future of transport isn’t simple Transport systems are multifaceted. No one single app or technology will solve the challenges. And, as we are discovering, some of the purported solutions to problems might actually be making the situation worse. If the goal is to get people out of their cars (for <a href="https://theconversation.com/designing-suburbs-to-cut-car-use-closes-gaps-in-health-and-wealth-83961">better health and quality of life and a better environment</a>), this will require more than a technology. Better infrastructure and public policies (including better integration of land uses and transport to reduce the need for transport) will be required – <a href="https://theconversation.com/three-charts-on-why-congestion-charging-is-fairer-than-you-might-think-124894">congestion pricing</a>being one of those. That is not to say technological innovations are not welcome as part of the solution, but they are just that … “part” of the solution. Written by Neil G Sipe. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/billions-are-pouring-into-mobility-technology-will-the-transport-revolution-live-up-to-the-hype-131154">The Conversation.</a>

Travel Tips

Summer reads: When you can’t travel, let a book transport you

I don’t understand beach reads. And I’m not the only one. There’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/jun/02/beach-read-summer-books-holiday-vacation">no universal consensus about the category</a>, though the marketing tends to revolve around those books popularly considered disposable, unserious, or at the very least, books “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/what-exactly-is-a-beach-read-anyway-summery-sexy--or-sexist/2016/08/05/41ea6ea8-58e5-11e6-831d-0324760ca856_story.html?utm_term=.03921e2c51bc">you don’t mind getting wet</a>.” Last year, I toted <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15823480-anna-karenina">Anna Karenina</a> along with me — it got soaked, and I abandoned it in an AirBnB in Dubrovnik, Croatia, after I’d finished reading it. It lasted nearly the whole trip and left a gaping, souvenir-sized hole in my suitcase; it was perfect. So as much as I’d like to dissolve the beach read label entirely, I must also admit I have a type: I want a meaty, absorbing book that takes me further into a vacation by connecting with the cultures that produced it. I want a book that can’t be disposed of, one that will take me somewhere entirely new. What I really want is to decouple the notion of summer reading as a <a href="https://electricliterature.com/what-the-fk-is-a-beach-read-anyway/">lifestyle marker</a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/39952655">of class</a> <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/what-exactly-is-a-beach-read-anyway-summery-sexy--or-sexist/2016/08/05/41ea6ea8-58e5-11e6-831d-0324760ca856_story.html?utm_term=.ccc299550f05">or gender</a>. If the “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-invention-of-the-beach-read">pursuit of intellectual betterment</a>” feels inaccessible or off-putting, I would like to propose at least the pursuit of expanding our emotional connections. In a cultural climate where the <a href="https://theconversation.com/does-empathy-have-limits-72637">limits of empathy</a> are increasingly under a microscope, forging cross-cultural connections feels like a pressing task. Much has been made of the relationship between <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/342/6156/377">fiction reading</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23383160">empathy</a>, but what happens when the limits of our worldview are bounded by the English language? While <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/census-family-language-highlights-1.4231841">linguistic diversity is growing in Canada</a>, the majority of Canadians still <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/census-wednesday-language-1.4231213">speak only English at home</a>, and <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2019/05/translated-fiction-has-been-growing-or-has-it.html">comparatively few books are translated</a> into English. If, as José Ortega y Gasset proposes, reading in translation should <a href="http://dialogos.ca/2015/09/the-misery-and-the-splendour-of-translation-v-the-splendour/">transport the reader into the language</a> — and therefore the perspective — of the author, then reading translated works may be one of the best ways to expand empathy beyond the boundaries of language. I’m not going abroad this summer, at least not physically. I’ll be staying in Canada, with only my books to pull me to other times and places. While in recent years, I’ve focused on <a href="https://www.vox.com/2015/12/29/10634416/reading-list-books">keeping up with new releases</a>, this year I’m fixated on atmosphere and transportation, in a mix of old favourites and new-to-me classics from around the world. Italy I won’t tell you to read Elena Ferrante, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/apr/30/elena-ferrante-fan-girl-modern-tribes">because you’ve probably heard that before.</a> Instead, I will be delving into the work of Elsa Morante, a <a href="https://www.latimes.com/books/la-ca-jc-elena-ferrante-interview-20180517-htmlstory.html">possible inspiration for Ferrante’s pseudonym</a>. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40180043-arturo-s-island">Arturo’s Island</a>, originally published in English in 1959, has been published in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/11/books/review-arturos-island-elsa-morante-ann-goldstein.html?auth=login-facebook&login=facebook">a new translation by Ann Goldstein</a> (translator of Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels). The novel promises a mix of the remote island setting steeped in Morante’s preoccupation with social issues and the spectre of war. Poland One of my favourite themes in European literature is that of movement and fluidity, the running sense of unity of purpose amidst myriad diverse pockets of culture. The ubiquity of trains and boats support transcontinental journeys by characters who switch language mid-conversation. Last year’s <a href="https://thebookerprizes.com/international/news/flights-wins-man-booker-international-prize-2018">Man Booker International</a> winner, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36885304-flights?from_search=true">Flights</a> by Olga Tokarczuk takes traveling and travelers as the subject of its interconnected musings, making it an ideal choice for the vacation headspace. This year’s winner, <a href="https://thebookerprizes.com/international/">Celestial Bodies from Oman’s Jokha Alharthi</a>, has an English edition but has not yet been published in Canada. Croatia In my opinion, no contemplation of Pan-European lore can be complete without Dubravka Ugrešic’s <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/baba-yaga-laid-an-egg-by-dubravka-ugresic-1728869.html">Baba Yaga Laid an Egg</a>. Once <a href="https://www.questia.com/magazine/1G1-13827983/five-women-who-won-t-be-silenced-croatia-s-witches">labeled a witch herself</a> and driven into exile from Croatia, Ugrešic’s take on Baba Yaga explores the shifting nature of popular folklore. Nigeria <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18749.Half_of_a_Yellow_Sun?ac=1&from_search=true">Half of a Yellow Sun</a> by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is not a translation, but it will take you to a place that only briefly existed: Biafra, a West African state founded in 1967. While the brutality of recent war may not make a particularly appetizing subject for vacation, Adichie contrasts the brutality with sumptuous descriptions of pre-war food and luxury, giving her vision of Biafra the aura of a lost dream. Adichie has referred to the war as a <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/hiding-from-our-past">shadow over her childhood</a>. Norway There are no beaches in <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6217.Kristin_Lavransdatter?from_search=true">Kristen Lavransdatter</a> and many more Christmases than summers, but if you start Nobel Prize-winner Sigrid Undset’s oeuvre now, it may take you until winter to finish it. Set in Medieval Norway, the book follows the titular Kristen from childhood until death, focusing on her tumultuous love affair and marriage to Erlend Nikulaussøn. Tiina Nunnally’s translation, <a href="https://slate.com/culture/2017/01/why-sigrid-undset-author-of-the-kristin-lavransdatter-trilogy-should-be-the-next-elena-ferrante.html">focusing on plain, stripped-down language,</a> presents a change in philosophy from the first English translation that cut large portions of the text and enforced stiff, archaic language absent from the original Norwegian. Argentina Samanta Schweblin’s <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30763882-fever-dream?from_search=true">Fever Dream</a> is slight in length but packs a heavy punch in both atmosphere and psychological investment. The story of a vacation gone terribly wrong, the novel’s Spanish title closely translates to “<a href="https://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-ca-jc-fever-dream-20170112-story.html">rescue distance</a>,” a recurring concept instantly familiar to parents of young children and terrifying as it becomes repeatedly destabilized. Fever Dream is so unsettling that I sometimes hesitate to recommend it, but I’ve found myself repeatedly drawn back to its tantalizing surrealism. Canada I’ve spent much of my life moving around, and as a recent settler on <a href="https://tkemlups.ca/profile/history/our-land/">unceded Secwepemc territory</a>, I want to learn more about the land I live on. In a summer steeped in fiction, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34733963-secw-pemc-people-land-and-laws?ac=1&from_search=true">Secwépemc People, Land, and Laws</a> by Marianne and Ronald Ignace is the only history on my list, but in many ways it feels similar to the others, reaching out to add a new dimension to a place in which I’m still mostly an outsider. <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/5371282/b-c-fire-season-expected-to-be-busier-than-normal/">For better or for worse</a>, Kamloops feels the most like itself in summer, the climate wants to have its stories told. It can feel intimidating to contemplate a 10,000 year history I know nothing about, but also comforting and necessary to reach back and hear the tales of the land I now call home. Written by Amy McLay Paterson, Assessment and User Experience Librarian, Thompson Rivers University. Republished with permission of <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/summer-reads-when-you-cant-travel-let-a-book-transport-you-119519" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/119519/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />

Books

7 iconic songs that will transport you back to the '70s

The 1970’s was a simpler time for some, and with hits like these, it’s easy to see why. Listen to the top 7 songs of the 1970’s and take a journey back in time. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_izvAbhExY">Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees</a> This song was made iconic as it played over the opening credits of 1977 film Saturday Night Fever as John Travolta struts through the streets of NYC. The song was written specifically for the film and quickly climbed through the charts. The band was well aware that they were creating a heart-thumping rhythm with the song. "We thought when we were writing it that we should emulate the human heart," Robin Gibb explained in Daniel Rachel's The Art of Noise: Conversations with Great Songwriters. "We got Blue Weaver who was the keyboard player at the time to lie on the floor and put electrodes on his heart and put it through the control room. Then we got the drummer to play the heartbeat. We were the first people in the world to do a drum loop based on that." <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CFuCYNx-1g">Superstition by Stevie Wonder</a> Believe it or not, Stevie Wonder wrote this song about the dangers of believing in superstitions. The song incorporates many elements of rock music, which was ideal for Wonder at the time as it helped extend his appeal to a white audience. It worked as it was his second #1 hit in the U.S. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFrGuyw1V8s">Dancing Queen by ABBA</a> ABBA had recorded this song a year before it was released, and it was written around the same time as “Fernando”. However, they chose to release Fernando as the single as they knew they were onto something big with Dancing Queen. This song was the only one of ABBA’s 14 US Top 40 hits to make it to number one and it’s easy to see why. The song also reached number one in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Rhodesia, South Africa, Sweden and Germany. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgl-VRdXr7I">Killing Me Softly With His Song by Roberta Flack</a> The story goes that the inspiration for this song is Don McLean, who was famous for American Pie. The songwriting team of Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel intimately wrote the track back in 1973, and it wasn’t until Roberta Flack heard the original artist sing the song that she decided to record it herself. Charles Fox first heard from Flack after Quincy Jones gave her his number. “I was at Paramount Pictures one day walking through the music library, and someone handed me a telephone and said, 'This is for you.' And the voice on the other end of the line said, 'Hi, this is Roberta Flack. We haven't met, but I'm going to sing your songs.' “So it was kind of magical at that - that thing just doesn't happen to people. She had just won the Grammy Award for '<a href="https://www.songfacts.com/facts/roberta-flack/first-time-ever-i-saw-your-face">First Time Ever I Saw Your Face</a>.' Beautiful record. So it's kind of remarkable to get a call from her in the first place. And she did go on to sing other songs. And actually, she sang on the main title for me of a show that was called Valerie after Valerie Harper." <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQZmCJUSC6g">You’re So Vain by Carly Simon</a> It looks like no one apart from Simon herself will know who she’s singing about, although this hasn’t stopped people from trying to figure it out. Rumours include Warren Beatty, Kris Kristofferson, Cat Stevens and Mick Jagger. However, Richard Perry, who produced the album, has his own ideas about who the song is about. He said in the book The Record Producers: "It's about a compilation of men that Carly had known, but primarily Warren Beatty." <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9rUzIMcZQ">Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen</a> It seems like no one will know what this song is about either, apart from the band and Freddie Mercury himself. When pressed, Mercury remained tight-lipped. Mercury himself stated, "It's one of those songs which has such a fantasy feel about it. I think people should just listen to it, think about it, and then make up their own minds as to what it says to them." The band has always been very keen to let listeners interpret the music in a way that’s personal to them instead of imposing their own meaning on the songs. The song was Queen’s first Top 10 hit in the US. In the UK, the song shot up to #1 and stayed there for nine weeks, which was a record for the time. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrcwRt6J32o">Bridge over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel</a> Paul Simon wrote this song about providing comfort to a person in need. He revealed this in the documentary The Marking of Bridge Over Troubled Water. “I have no idea where it came from,” Simon said. “It came all of the sudden. It was one of the most shocking moments in my songwriting career. I remember thinking, 'This is considerably better than I usually write." Upon its release, it was one of the few songs to top the US and UK charts at the same time. It was #1 in the US for six weeks and #1 in the UK for three.

Music

The new train rule that started on June 15 – did you know about it?

Good news! Due to a new move from Auckland Transport, pet owners will be able to take their furry and feathery friends on Auckland trains. The move has been in place since June 15 and allows owners to travel with their pets, as long as they’re in a cage or other carrier that would fit under a seat or on their owners' laps. There are restrictions to the move though. Owners with their pets in tow will be able to travel outside of peak hours only, as well as on weekends and on public holidays. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> Today's the day Auckland! The trial for pets on trains has started and we would love to see your purr-fect photos so get snapping and tag us in 📸🐶🐱🐦🐇<a href="https://t.co/3RUxyEHkx4">https://t.co/3RUxyEHkx4</a> <a href="https://t.co/YaZYaS6KJf">pic.twitter.com/YaZYaS6KJf</a> — Auckland Transport (@AklTransport) <a href="https://twitter.com/AklTransport/status/1140001216182837251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">15 June 2019</a></blockquote> Auckland Councillor Cathy Casey said that it was a great step forward. She told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12239815" target="_blank">NZ Herald</a>: "It is good news for the owners of Auckland's 103,000 registered dogs. Our pets are an integral part of our lives and I am very pleased that we can now travel with them on off-peak trains across the region. I expect the trial to be a howling success." Auckland Transport spokeswoman Stavey can der Putten said that the trial was one of the steps that they’re taking to make public transport more accessible. It is also great for many Aucklanders who do not have access to a vehicle to take their animal to the vet or to explore the city. Pet owners will also be responsible for cleaning up the messes their pets leave on the train. One woman was ecstatic about the news and already took advantage of the transport system, snapping photos of her dog on the train. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en-gb"> <a href="https://t.co/wUdGvVREc6">pic.twitter.com/wUdGvVREc6</a> — Far Stucker (@Far_Stucker) <a href="https://twitter.com/Far_Stucker/status/1140506369511981058?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">17 June 2019</a></blockquote>

Family & Pets

This is how weather affects the trips we make

What sorts of weather lead us to change our daily travel behaviour? How do we respond to scorching heatwaves, sapping humidity, snow and frost, strong winds, or torrential rain? International research shows weather is important in shaping our everyday movements. The research evidence suggests that bad weather can lead to planned journeys being rescheduled, rerouted or cancelled. The consequences of these shifts in daily travel choices can include increases in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S136192090800165X">traffic congestion and accidents</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S136192090800165X">travel delays</a>, mental stress, environmental pollution and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856416306206">general travel dissatisfaction</a>. Because people who travel by bike or walking are most likely to change travel plans in bad weather, some cities are responding with innovations such as <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/the-netherlands-tests-heated-cycle-lanes/a-18971259">heated bicycle lanes</a> and <a href="https://blogs.ethz.ch/engagingmobility/2016/05/03/bicycle-infrastructure-in-singapore-an-overview/">sheltered walkways</a>. Why do we care about the weather? Firstly, how do we explain people’s common obsession with the weather? As <a href="http://www.samueljohnson.com/england.html">Samuel Johnson</a> put it: <blockquote> It is commonly observed, that when two Englishmen meet, their first talk is of the weather; they are in haste to tell each other, what each must already know, that it is hot or cold, bright or cloudy, windy or calm. </blockquote> Is this merely a keen (or indeed pathological) interest in the subject? <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Watching-English-Hidden-Rules-Behaviour/dp/0340818867">According to Kate Fox</a>, these conversations are not really about the weather at all: weather-speak is a form of code, evolved to help Anglo-Australian people overcome their natural reserve and actually talk to one another. Weather-speak can be used as a greeting, as an ice-breaker, and/or as a “filler” subject. But, beyond its use as a conversation prop and social bonding device, weather does play a major role in travel behaviour. And as the impacts of climate change unfold, the severity and frequency of extreme weather conditions are predicted to increase. A better understanding of the dynamics of the relationship between weather and travel behaviour is thus essential in helping cities develop transport and planning responses appropriate to their conditions. What do we know about the weather-travel relationship? It’s complicated. Research on the weather-travel relationship has revealed that effects vary by mode of travel. Active transport, such as walking and cycling, is the most vulnerable to variations in the weather. Arriving drenched is both uncomfortable and impractical, so we might drive rather than face this prospect. Wet weather forecasts are likely to <a href="http://www.fietsberaad.nl/library/repository/bestanden/Sabir%20et%20al%20(2010a).Pdf">trigger a travel mode shift</a> as travellers opt for greater comfort and safety. But the day of the week also affects these decisions. Inclement weather is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0968090X1730311X">more likely to reduce</a> weekend and off-peak travel – the so-called <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856414002195">discretionary trips</a> – than standard weekday commute trips. Clearly, travel purpose plays a stronger role than weather. Significant variation exists in the effects of weather on trip-makers with <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11116-015-9623-0">different individual characteristics and household composition</a>. For example, <a href="https://trid.trb.org/view/482123">commuters with children</a> are less likely to alter their travel because of the weather. This is possibly due to their household responsibilities. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966692314000957">Geographic variations</a> across the transit network have been observed too. Bad weather has more serious effects in areas with less frequent services and without protected bus and rail stops. Travellers in areas with more frequent services and well-designed shelters appear to be <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0968090X1730311X">less sensitive to bad weather</a>. In areas with high population densities, the effect of weather also appears to weaken. This is particularly the case for active transportation such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966692314001951">cycling</a>. How we travel during inclement weather also involves more subtle changes. Trip chaining, or the process of stringing together multiple smaller journeys into a larger one, is reduced in complexity, particularly <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11116-015-9623-0">on rainy days</a>. In terms of “extreme” weather, not all types have the same effect. Heavy precipitation (snow or rain) and, to a lesser extent, extremely high or low temperatures <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262900761_Impact_of_Everyday_Weather_on_Individual_Daily_Travel_Behaviours_in_Perspective_A_Literature_Review">appear to have</a> a <a href="https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-Impact-of-Climate-Change-and-Weather-on-An-of-Koetse-Rietveld/93b6e6516ad21a549096a97348fc8f56774396d3">greater effect</a> on travel behaviour than strong winds or high humidity. Adapting to weather conditions We cannot change the weather. But we can plan our transport systems to be more resilient and better shield us from the weather when we travel. If we don’t do this, we will face the same crisis as Transport for London. Since its privatisation, its train services experience delays every autumn and winter due to “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slippery_rail">leaves on the line</a>” and “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_wrong_type_of_snow">the wrong type of snow</a>”. What kind of transport adaptations are available and work? The options range from offering passengers a more diverse choice of modes, to improving existing infrastructure. For example, making public transport stations more user-friendly could soften the impact of bad weather. More seamless interchanges may have a strong effect, as commuters generally find modal transfers stressful. Temperature-controlled, covered or underground transfer stations would protect passengers while between modes of transport. Active travel infrastructure is particularly important. Cities that are committed to supporting non-motorised transport have implemented or proposed bold policies. We see examples of this around the world. Increasingly hot Madrid is <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/3056166/madrid-is-covering-itself-in-plants-to-help-fight-rising-temperatures">covering itself in trees</a> to assist pedestrians. Frosty Dutch cities are testing <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/the-netherlands-tests-heated-cycle-lanes/a-18971259">heated bicycle lanes</a>. Arid Doha has floated the idea of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmmdjquL9Tc">cooled bicycle paths</a>. And Singapore plans to expand the city’s network of <a href="https://blogs.ethz.ch/engagingmobility/2016/05/03/bicycle-infrastructure-in-singapore-an-overview/">sheltered walkways</a>. Projecting roofs and porticoes shield us from the hot sun or precipitation. Vegetation lessens the impacts of both cold wind in temperate and subpolar latitudes and hot sunshine elsewhere. Beyond these incremental interventions, a fundamental rethink of our urban design approach is necessary. The key to limiting and adapting to the effects of weather on travel may well be the “<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-30-minute-city-how-do-we-put-the-political-rhetoric-into-practice-56136">30-minute city</a>”. But this can only be achieved through high densities and mixed land use – concepts that have so far generated <a href="https://theconversation.com/30-minute-city-not-in-my-backyard-smart-cities-plan-must-let-people-have-their-say-59161">fierce resistance and NIMBYism</a> in Australia. Another word of caution. What works in one climate zone might not work in another. This is because human bodies and minds adjust and develop different expectations and tolerance to weather and temperature patterns. For example, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-what-bike-sharing-programs-need-to-succeed-85969">optimal temperature range for cycling</a> is as broad as 4-40°C in continental climates, but as narrow as 15-32°C in subtropical climates.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/93724/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> Written by Jonathan Corcoran, Professor, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland; Dorina Pojani, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, The University of Queensland; Francisco Rowe, Lecturer in Quantitative Human Geography, University of Liverpool; Jiangping Zhou, Associate Professor, Department of Urban Planning and Design, University of Hong Kong; Jiwon Kim, Lecturer in Transport Engineering, The University of Queensland; Ming Wei, PhD Candidate, The University of Queensland; Sui Tao, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Institute of Future Cities, Chinese University of Hong Kong; Thomas Sigler, Lecturer in Human Geography, The University of Queensland, and Yan Liu, Associate Professor, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/too-wet-too-cold-too-hot-this-is-how-weather-affects-the-trips-we-make-93724">The Conversation</a>.

International Travel

Store's pyjama ban causes controversy

A Salvation Army manager who was slammed for banning customers who wear pyjamas has defended her store’s policy. The Papakura Salvation Army in South Auckland, New Zealand, has drawn controversy after a photo of the shop’s window sign went viral on social media. The sign read: “Pyjama wear is not acceptable in the store. Thank you for your co-operation.” <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7827337/sign.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b32b3b9401ff487196e31307749c7e12" /> The pyjama ban was met with backlash, with people labelling it as “cheeky” and “silly”. One person commented: “I think it’s quite cheeky of them to dictate what their customers can or can’t wear.” Another argued: “If people have freedom of speech then [they should have] freedom to wear what they want. I have seen people wear skimpy clothing and we accept that.” Papakura Salvation Army manager Moana Turner told the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12235142" target="_blank">New Zealand Herald</a> that she stands by the ruling to set a standard for the store. “I don’t think it’s suitable to wear PJs in a public store,” said Turner. “I was bought up by my mother. She was a single parent and there were 10 of us and not once did we ever go out without wearing clothes and shoes. “We were very poor and I don’t think there is any reason for people to get up and walk around in public in the pyjamas.” Turner also said that when a customer comes in pyjamas, she offers them free clothing if they have nothing else to wear. “We all do it nicely ... we ask if them if there is anything they need so they can avoid walking in public in their pyjamas,” she said. “I give them the option if they are desperate for clothing.”

Legal

Can you spot the mistake in this Aussie bus sign?

Brisbane commuters have drawn attention to a typo in the city’s buses. About 100 buses operating in the Brisbane City Council have carried an information sticker advising passengers that smoking and consumption of food and drink are prohibited on the bus. However, passengers have identified an oversight on the sticker. The word “consumption” was misspelled as “comsumption”, leading many to question if the signs had been proofread before they were distributed to the vehicles. <img style="width: 422.7212681638045px; height: 500px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7825842/reddit.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/161e2fb2e931443388d23896a1808030" /> <blockquote class="reddit-card" data-card-created="1554946472"><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/brisbane/comments/baztj8/every_single_brisbane_bus_how_have_i_not_noticed/">Every. Single. Brisbane. Bus. How have I not noticed this?</a> from <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/brisbane">r/brisbane</a></blockquote> “Someone had one job...” one wrote on Reddit. “What an embarrassment,” another commented. One added, “I hate that you showed me this. Now I'm going to be irritated! You could have left me in my blissful ignorance.” Others pointed out that not all buses in the council were affected. “I'm on a bus right now and checked for this sign immediately. There's no typo and I'm actually disappointed,” one responded. A council spokesperson told <a rel="noopener" href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/can-spot-embarrassing-mistake-brisbane-bus-sticker-235649000.html" target="_blank">Yahoo News Australia</a> that it was aware of the misprint on the sticker, which was displayed in fewer than 100 of the city’s fleet of 1,200 buses. “An audit is underway and Council will ensure all stickers identified with a misspelled word are replaced by the end of the week,” said the spokesperson.

Travel Trouble

Just like us! Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan spotted catching public transport

The Duchess of Sussex sent social media into a frenzy after she was snapped closing her own car door during her first solo appearance this week. And now, it seems that her normalcy is rubbing off on husband Prince Harry, with the couple spotted catching the train from an event at Loughborough University on Monday. Taking to Twitter to share her excitement, one fan posted a video of the Duke and Duchess departing a train from Loughborough station. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Bizarrely sharing my train with Harry & Meghan today 🤷‍♂️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LoughboroughToLeicester?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LoughboroughToLeicester</a> <a href="https://t.co/wStziRomMU">pic.twitter.com/wStziRomMU</a> — Jonny Norton (@JonnyNorton_) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonnyNorton_/status/1044265066886041603?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">24 September 2018</a></blockquote> “Bizarrely sharing my train with Harry & Meghan today,” Twitter user Jonny Norton captioned the video. The royal pair were seen holding hands as they walked through the station, surrounded by minders and security. But it’s not the first time the couple have travelled by public transport to an event. The couple also caught a train to their first official visit in Cardiff – which ended up being delayed. “Most of you have freezing cold hands! We’re very sorry we’re late. Blame the trains!” Harry apologised when they turned up an hour late. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have also been seen getting on the train on a number of occasions, while Meghan was fortunate enough to score a ride on Queen Elizabeth’s luxurious private train. The Duchess of Sussex travelled overnight with the 92-year-old monarch to their first joint engagement together in Cheshire in June.

International Travel

4 public transport experiences you must have overseas

I'm still not a convert to those flashy, chugging tour buses that clog the central boroughs of London and the boulevards of Los Angeles. Some people swear by them. A few rounds on one to get my bearings of the arrondissements of Paris made jetlagged bodies feel like we had achieved and learned something, but, tellingly, I've never hopped on such a bus again. Likewise, I'm not a runner (or even a jogger) who shakes off the out-of-sync sleep cycles with a sweat around the neighbourhoods of their hotel or hostel. I do however, recommend getting to know a city like one of its commuters at least once or twice. What's more, if you choose the right methods and routes you can get your own little tour passing some of each cities famous sites, like these options below: London For a tour-bus-beating £1.50 on your tourist Oyster card, board London's heritage red Routemaster bus No 15 at Tower Hill, beside the infamous Tower of London, heading towards Trafalgar Square. Snag a seat on the second level to take in the journey's views of the Monument to the Great Fire of London, St Paul's Cathedral and Fleet St, before finally alighting next to Trafalgar Square to see Nelson's Column and the area's galleries and museums Lisbon Famous for both its steep terrain and trundling yellow trams, avoid one and embrace the other in Portugal's capital Lisbon. The city is one of western Europe's warmest and cheapest – a winning combination. Make it even better value by catching the canary-hued No 28 tram for €2.90 on-board or €6.10 for a city-wide day pass to tackle the hills and see the view. From its start at Square Martim Moniz in central Baixa, through past the narrow alleys and tiled houses of Alfama to the castle near the stop for Portas del Sol, the screeching around corners and heavy braking is all part of the fun. There is a red tram that follows a very similar view with more guidance and a higher fare. Both are busy with tourists, so head out early in the morning or in the evening and beware of pickpockets who target the route. Hong Kong A trip to Honkers isn't complete without a cross-harbour journey between Hong Kong island and Kowloon on one of the little green Star Ferries that run from 7am to 11pm between Central, Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui piers. For HKD$2.70 the harbour hop is a bargain and the views are spectacular, particularly at night when the skyscrapers light up. This Asian metropolis might have efficient and modern subways and rail networks but the little green boat service launched in 1888 is what you'll remember. New York The Big Apple is awash with tourist hustlers and hop-on, hop-off tours, but avoid them by riding Manhattan's bus route No 1. With a pay-per-ride MetroCard and for about US$5.50 you can enjoy a massive loop stretching from Harlem, past Central Park down to Midtown and Friends-esque Greenwich Village. It uses famous streets Fifth Ave and Madison Ave so you'll pass plenty of chi-chi boutique and big-name stores. Keep an eye out for the Museum of Modern Art (Moma) and crane your neck skywards to see the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Centre. As Fifth Ave bisects Broadway, grab snaps of the Flat Iron building before hopping off at the route's most southerly point to enjoy the grub served up in Chinatown and Little Italy. Or walk a few blocks to stroll the New York High Line – a disused elevated railway-turned-urban garden walkway. Have you had any of these public transport experiences? Written by Josh Martin. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>.

International Travel

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