Overseas firms assess Auckland transport opportunities

By SCOTT MacLEOD and BERNARD ORSMAN

Overseas firms are lining up for a slice of Auckland's public transport system, with one company saying it is keen to run trains and buses.

French multinational Transdev said yesterday that it wanted to develop and run an integrated system of buses and trains, and civic leaders said four other firms had shown an interest in the rail lines.

Transdev's Asia-Pacific representative, Jean Pierre Soulie, said he met Auckland politicians last week and found a high level of commitment to the idea.

He claimed that Transdev could revitalise the central business district with its system of buses and light-to-heavy trains.

City and regional councils confirmed they had met the company, but said any firm plans would have to wait until they had struck a deal with Tranz Rail for access to train corridors.

Any agreement seems some way off, with Transport Minister Mark Gosche unconvinced that Auckland will get a dream rapid transport system if it pays $65 million for a rail corridor lease.

He told the Herald yesterday that the deal had to be thoroughly tested before the Government would commit money.

Transdev runs more than five light-rail systems and 90 bus networks in Europe, and has operated a tram service in Melbourne for 12 years. The Paris company says its turnover was $600 million last year.

New Zealand spokesman Bruce Kohn said plans were still sketchy, but Transdev ran networks overseas where buses and trains ran on the same ticketing system.

"It's a matter of the region's councils deciding what they want. Basically, Paris has said 'go for it'."

Auckland Regional Council chairman Philip Warren said he had "a very good meeting" with Mr Soulie on Friday, and the French seemed especially keen on rail corridors.

"My impression was that they were sniffing around, and if they like the smell then that's good."

ARC transport planning manager Don Houghton said Transdev could be a big player in Auckland.

He said two other French firms and the multinationals Adtranz and Siemens had also spoken to the council about public transport.

Auckland councils have asked the Government for $35 million towards the TranZ Rail deal. They are also seeking $40 million from Infrastructure Auckland.

Mr Gosche said the Government wanted costings of Auckland's plans for the corridors. He said the Tranz Rail agreement was the first step towards a rapid transit system costing more than $1 billion.

"We have to be sure, as the guardians of the public purse, that these things have been tested as thoroughly as they can be before people sign up to them."

Mr Gosche rejected criticism from the Auckland Business Forum and the Auckland mayoral forum head Bob Harvey that the Government was fluffing around.

He said a lot of work was going on in Wellington on the Tranz Rail deal with safety issues and the legality of the lease, which had revealed that the corridors could be used only for rail and not buses.

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