The Government has introduced a bill to Parliament that would replace the existing Public Transport Operating Model (PTOM) with the Sustainable Public Transport Framework (SPTF).

This marks a significant change in the way councils can deliver public transport services and includes:

Providing new objectives for planning, procurement, and delivery of services.
Implementing the zero-emission bus mandate.
Enabling different asset ownership arrangements including enabling regional councils to operate public transport services.
Encouraging greater collaboration between regional councils and territorial authorities.
Improving framework for exempt services and clarifying the treatment of on-demand public transport services.

It is hoped that these changes will support mode shift from private vehicles to public transport and active modes while improving employment arrangements for the public transport workforce.

The Land Transport Management (Regulation of Public Transport) Amendment Bill has passed its first reading and is currently sitting with the Transport and Infrastructure Committee which is accepting submissions until Friday 28 April 2023.