Are electric buses sexy?

It feels like we have been pressed into cycle lanes that stole all our car parks, and now we are being pushed to be pedestrians when most of us need to drive. It is inconsiderate, impractical and inefficient.

I believe in attracting people to better living rather than forcing them into unpleasant alternatives. Dunedin people enjoy and deserve the convenience of a small city. We were not congested till roading changes made us so.

• Let’s have Use it or Lose it Cycle Lanes

• Let’s have vacant lots for parking

• Let’s save George St from becoming a Cycle Lane On the other side of that coin – we deserve some decent public transport. As they say in London, sexy buses get used! Let’s have some small electric bus loops. Modeled on the Melbourne City Line trams, these buses could start out free and we’ll soon know the level of demand.

Cycle Lanes cost 8 million and 150/day use them, so there is our benchmark.

I propose Octagon, George St, Albany St, Uni, Railway Station, Chinese Garden, Law Courts, Octagon.

I think we could have a continually running service with one bus when its quiet and several when its busy. No timetable, just the pure convenience of a small, quiet, comfortable bus. A second loop would run from the South Dunedin Community Hub to the Octagon and back.

I think that people will park and ride. This would give us genuine public transport for shoppers and sight seers alike. I think it will reduce traffic, benefit business and encourage pedestrians. Far better to encourage people to reduce car use in a practical and desirable way than to bully them into something they do not want.