In 2011 the Rugby World Cup will be held in New Zealand for the second time. Many of the games will be held in Auckland and some games will have up to 60,000 people attending. With a lot of extra people moving around the city there could be some serious transport problems.
Auckland is well known for its traffic problems. Although there are buses and trains available, many Aucklanders prefer to drive their own cars rather than take public transport to and from work, so in rush hours there are often traffic jams on motorways and other main roads.
A new transport plan for Auckland will be in place for the World Cup. Organisers believe that at least 60% of Aucklanders will use public transport at that time and leave their cars at home. There will be 84 extra buses provided to take up to 7000 rugby fans from one place to another, as well as more frequent train services.
Roads and other transport facilities, such as railway and bus stations, will also be upgraded in time for the World Cup. The total cost of these improvements will probably be about $55 million. After the World Cup many Aucklanders may choose to continue to use their improved public transport system instead of using private cars all the time, which would help reduce traffic on their roads.
Written by Chris Mahoney
Questions to think about:
1. What are some of the benefits to New Zealand of holding the Rugby World Cup here?
2. Are there any disadvantages?
3. What solutions can you think of for the increasing traffic problems in big cities around the world?
Listen for these numbers: year of the Rugby World Cup, people attending, % of Aucklanders who will use public transport, number of extra buses, fans who will use these extra buses, cost of improvements to transport facilities