6. Question No. 6—TransportHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of TransportQuestion No. 6—Transport6. Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of Transport: Does he remain committed to light rail from Auckland's CBD to the airport; if so how many people does the latest modelling available to him predict will use it?Hon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister of Transport): Yes. Light rail will be a game-changer for Auckland. The preferred route between the city centre and Māngere has been developed after comprehensive studies based on two central goals: providing better transport access and more capacity to support growth in the CBD and the wider urban areas—particularly the airport precinct which is home to more than 30000 jobs. The Transport Agency advises that the latest transport modelling indicates that in 2048 there will be 20 million passengers per year using the light rail line from the city to Māngere including an estimated 70000 people per working day. Hon Paul Goldsmith: When he says the light rail is going to Māngere does he mean the airport or the Māngere town centre? Hon PHIL TWYFORD: The plan is for the light rail to go to the airport but its primary function is to support the job-rich economic centre in the airport precinct. Its primary purpose is to help people get to and from work and education and all of the things that they need. Hon Paul Goldsmith: If he remains committed to the project why is everyone in Auckland saying that a link from Puhinui Station will be the primary public transport connection to the airport and that light rail is about urban regeneration in Mount Roskill? Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Because they're not. David Seymour: How long does it take a vehicle travelling at 30 kilometres an hour to travel 20 kilometres from the Auckland CBD to the airport? Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well that depends on how congested the roads are at the time that the person is travelling. But I will say this: our Government's committed to building a modern rapid transit network across the city that will ease congestion for the next few generations and give people a genuine alternative to sitting in the chronic gridlock—SPEAKER: Order! Order! Now I—[Interruption] No I don't want a point of order; I want an answer to the question.Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well I can't answer that question. If the member wants to put it in writing I'll happily get the modelling for him. [Interruption] SPEAKER: No both members will resume their seats. I will accept the answer but I think I've said to a number of members that I take responsibility for their lack of numeracy as a former Minister of Education and I would expect a Minister to be nimble enough to work out 20 kilometres at 30 kilometres an hour.David Seymour: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I seek leave to table calculations showing the answer is 40 minutes.SPEAKER: I'm not going to accept that because I think the vast majority of people in the House could do it even if they had to use their fingers.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Can I ask the Minister: is there any part of Auckland in the area suggested by the primary question that is unimpeded for 20 kilometres particularly at intersections?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: There is not.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Does he regard a light rail tram going down Dominion Road as rapid transit"; and if so how fast does he think the trams will be going?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: The description of rapid transit is when through priority lanes or a separate route whether it's a bus or light rail or heavy rail it doesn't have to compete with cars. That is the intention for the light rail from the city to Māngere. That's why it will deliver modern rapid transit for all of the people living on the isthmus and a huge swath of South Auckland and that's why the former Government when Simon Bridges was the transport Minister NZTA and Auckland Transport all chose light rail as the preferred mode for the city centre to Māngere route. And I don't know why the current Government is now campaigning against it.Hon Judith Collins: Current Government?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Opposition.Hon Paul Goldsmith: How would he define rapid?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: I refer the member to my earlier answer."