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19 June 2026

AA Transport Election Calls Survey results

What New Zealanders want the next Government to prioritise in transport

Every election cycle, the AA develops a set of Election Calls outlining the transport priorities we believe the next Government should focus on to improve New Zealand’s transport system over the coming years.

To help shape the AA’s 2026 Election Calls, in November 2025, we surveyed over 3,000 AA Members and members of the public to understand their transport priorities, concerns, and views on future investment and policy. The findings show strong support for long-term transport planning, practical road safety improvements, affordable travel, resilient infrastructure, and better coordination between local and central government.

The AA Election Calls Survey included 2,162 AA Member Voices Panel respondents (57% response rate, margin of error ±2.1%) and a nationally representative sample of 1,010 members of the public (margin of error equivalent ±3.1%). Results have been weighted to reflect national demographics (age, gender and location).

Infographic: AA Transport Election Calls Survey results

Why the AA's voice matters

The AA represents over a million Members and is one of New Zealand’s largest advocates on transport issues. We bring the experiences and priorities of road users directly into national policy discussions.

Awareness of the AA’s advocacy is high, with 89% of Members and 78% of the public aware that the AA speaks out on transport issues. Most people who see or hear this advocacy report a more positive view of the AA, and around 6 in 10 believe it leads to positive changes in the transport system. A majority also believe the AA’s advocacy influences government policy, and around 8 in 10 trust the AA to represent the interests of drivers. 

These findings reflect the views of a large, engaged and important group of New Zealand transport users.

Key findings

AA Transport Election Calls Survey: Key insights

The AA Transport Election Calls survey results highlight strong support for long-term planning and safety improvements, alongside high support for measures to reduce transport costs.

While there is good support for improving public transport, support is more mixed for initiatives that involve changing how people travel or adopting alternatives such as low or zero emission vehicles.

  • Strong support for long-term planning and safety:
    The highest levels of support were for a long-term, cross-party programme of major transport projects (92% of Members, 84% of the public), practical road safety upgrades (90% Members, 89% public), and greater collaboration between local and central government (91% Members, 86% public).
  • Public transport and sustainable options:
    Most respondents supported improvements to public transport, such as more park and ride facilities (78% Members, 70% public) and increased public transport frequency (68% Members, 70% public). There was also good support for sustainable transport initiatives, including better footpaths and walkways (70% Members, 74% public).
  • Infrastructure priorities:
    Hospitals were the top infrastructure priority for both groups (72% Members, 75% public), followed by energy infrastructure. Transport-related infrastructure is a lower priority overall, with around a third selecting roading.
  • Focus areas for the next government term:
    Both Members and the public want the AA to focus on long-term transport planning, keeping driving costs down, road safety, and road improvements. There is less support for initiatives focused on making it easier to move around cities without a car, especially in rural areas.

Setting the scene: How New Zealanders are travelling

How are New Zealanders travelling?

To put people’s transport priorities in context, we first looked at how New Zealanders are currently travelling.

We asked people what transport modes they had used in the past 12 months. We found that use of transport modes is high, with most people reporting driving, walking, and travelling as passengers, and around half also using public transport.

  • AA Members reported higher usage of all transport modes compared to the general NZ public, especially for driving (98% AA Member Voices Panel vs 89% of the public panel).
  • Travelling as a passenger was also more common among AA Members on the Member Voices panel (83% vs. 67%), and cycling (26% vs 19%).
  • Walking was reported by 82% of the AA Member Voices Panel, and 77% of the public.
  • Around half of both groups had travelled by public transport in the past 12 months (over 43% on public buses, and over 25% on public trains).

Understanding the pressures shaping transport choices

To understand the constraints people are currently facing, we also looked at how transport costs were affecting people's ability to travel. 

Transport costs are affecting a large share of New Zealanders

We found that many people are limiting their travel or cutting back on other spending to afford transport.

  • Nearly half of the public (47%) said the cost of transport limits their ability to travel as much as they would like, and 34% of the AA Member Voices Panel.
  •  4 out of 10 members of the public (37%) and 24% of the AA Member Voices Panel sometimes have to cut back on things to afford transport.
  • 4 out of 10 members of the public (44%) said they find it difficult to pay for all the costs of owning and running a vehicle, and 3 out of 10 AA Member Voices Panel members (32%).
  • 1 out of 10 public transport users in both groups said they could not afford public transport fares (9% of AA Member Voices Panel, and 12% of the public). 

 

What transport priorities do people want the next Government to focus on?

There is very strong support for long-term planning, coordination, and core infrastructure improvements

As major transport decisions increasingly require long-term planning and coordination, we asked about support for how these projects are prioritised and delivered.

  • 9 out of 10 (92%) AA Member Voices Panel members support a long-term programme of major transport projects, no matter which government is in power, and 84% of the public.
  •  There is also high support for better collaboration between central and local government, with 9 out of 10 (91% AA Member Voices Panel, 86% public panel) support local councils and the central government working together and sticking to an agreed list of major transport projects. 
  • Practical upgrades on high-risk roads are also widely supported, with around 9 out of 10 in both groups backing these improvements (90% Members, 89% public).

Support for increased public funding is moderate, with around half in favour

Delivering major transport projects requires decisions about how they are funded, so we asked about support for increasing the use of public funding.

  • Just over half of the public (53%) support using a larger share of public funding (from taxes and rates) for major transport projects, with 11% opposed.
  • Among AA panel Members, support is lower, with 47% in support and 17% opposed.

There is strong support for road safety measures and enforcement

To understand priorities for improving safety on the road, we asked about support for a range of road safety measures.

  • More than 7 out of 10 of both AA Members and the public support introducing safety cameras that can detect drivers using phones or not wearing a seatbelt (76% and 74%).
  • 7 out of 10 people support more focus on rehabilitation programmes for dangerous driving, such as treatment programmes and road safety courses (71% support in both groups).
  • 7 out of 10 people supported a nationwide plan to stop distracted and tired driving, such as more education and rest stops (68% AA Member Voices Panel, 72% public panel).
  • 7 out of 10 support electronic signs at roadworks to show if workers are on site (69% AA Member Voices Panel, 73% NZ public).
  •   6 out 10 people in both groups support putting more police on the road (62% AA Member Voices Panel, 61% public panel). 

Support for improving public transport is high, with most initiatives backed by a majority of people

To understand priorities for improving transport options beyond driving, we asked about support for a range of public transport and sustainable travel measures.

  • Around 8 out of 10 AA Member Voices Panel members (78%) and 7 out of 10 members of the public (74%) support more park and ride facilities near public transport
  • Around 7 out of 10 in both groups support increasing the frequency of public transport (68% AA Member Voices Panel, 70% public)
  • Around 6 out of 10 AA Member Voices Panel members (64%) and 7 out of 10 of the public (69%) support helping buses and trains move faster and more reliably, such as through bus lanes or priority at traffic lights

Support is also strong for improving options to travel without a car:

  • Around 7 out of 10 support improving footpaths and walkways so more people have the option to walk (70% AA Member Voices Panel, 74% public)
  • Around 6 out of 10 support putting more funding into ways that make it easier for people to get around without using a car (62% AA Member Voices Panel, 61% public)
  • Around 8 out of 10 in both groups support free public transport at peak hours for those aged 18 and under travelling to and from school (76% AA Member Voices Panel, 78% public)

Some initiatives focused on changing travel behaviour or newer approaches receive lower levels of support

Initiatives that focus on encouraging people to change how they travel, or to adopt alternatives such as low or zero emission vehicles, are less widely supported, particularly among AA Members.

  • Support for improving cycle lanes and paths is 46% among AA Members and 49% among the public. 
  • Providing incentives to switch to low or zero emission vehicles is supported by 45% of AA Members and 54% of the public. 
  • Support for encouraging people to reduce private car trips is 40% among AA Members and 50% among the public.
  • More novel approaches show even lower support. Trialling prize draws for drivers who pass safety cameras under the speed limit is supported by 28% of AA Members and 47% of the public.

Support for cost-saving initiatives that also promote safer driving is high

As transport costs are a key concern for many people, we also looked at support for initiatives that could help reduce costs while contributing to safer driving.

  •  8 out of 10 (75%) of the AA Member Voices Panel, and 9 out of 10 (86%) support discounts on annual vehicle licences (regos) if you have received no safety-related fines in the past 12 months.
  • 7 out of 10 (66% AA Member Voices Panel, 73% public panel) support getting discounts on renewing a driver licence if people complete an online road rules refresher.

What infrastructure do people want prioritised for new builds?

Transport infrastructure is a lower priority than areas such as hospitals and energy, with around a third of people selecting it

With limited funding available, we asked people to prioritise where investment should go across different types of infrastructure, to understand how transport compares with other areas.

  • Hospitals are the clear top priority, selected by around 7 out of 10 people in both groups (72% AA Member Voices Panel, 75% public).
  • Energy infrastructure is the next highest priority, selected by around 4 out of 10 (40% AA Member Voices Panel, 37% public).
  • There were differences in other priorities. The public places more emphasis on housing (43%) and schools (32%), while AA Members are more likely to prioritise drinking water infrastructure (36% vs 24% public) and roads, tunnels and bridges (35% vs 24% public).

Within transport, roading is the highest priority, with public transport also a key focus.

  • Roading is the highest priority for AA Members, with nearly 4 out of 10 (36%) selecting this, compared to around 1 in 4 (24%) of the public.
  • Public transport infrastructure was selected by around 3 out of 10 AA Members (26%) and around 2 out of 10 of the public (21%).
  • Walking and cycling infrastructure are lower priorities, with around 1 in 10 selecting these (9% AA Member Voices Panel, 6% public).

What do people want the AA to focus on in transport advocacy?

Long-term planning, affordability, road safety, and road improvements are the top priorities for AA advocacy

To understand where the AA should focus its efforts, we asked AA Members and the NZ public which transport issues they want prioritised during the next government term.

We found that there was high support for issues that impact all road users, including government planning, road safety, driver costs and road improvements:

  • A long-term programme of major transport projects agreed and delivered across political parties is the top priority, particularly for AA Members (74% AA Member Voices Panel, 54% public)
  • Keeping driving costs down is also a key focus, with around two-thirds of both groups supporting this (62% AA Member Voices Panel, 66% public)
  • Improving road safety and driver behaviour was supported by 63% of AA Member Voices Panel members and 54% of the public
  • Improving roads, including new roads, bridges and maintenance, is supported by 62% of AA Member Voices Panel members and 54% of the public,

There was slightly less support for initiatives focused on reducing car use and broader sustainability. The lower support was mostly driven by those living in more rural areas, who have limited ability to switch to other transport modes. 

  • Making it easier to move around cities without a car is supported by nearly half of AA Member Voices Panel members (46%) and 38% of the public, with higher support in central city areas (53% AA Member Voices Panel) and in Auckland (46% public)
  • Supporting more sustainable transport and reducing pollution is supported by 41% of AA Member Voices Panel members and a third of the public (33%)

About the AA Transport Election Calls Survey

The survey was conducted with two panels:

AA Member Voices Panel
A survey panel of AA Members who regularly complete transport surveys. The panel is designed to be representative of AA Members; people are randomly invited to join the panel, and results are weighted to reflect the demographics of AA Members.

  • In field: 30 October to 13 November
  • n=2,162 out of 3,821 invited
  • Response rate: 57%
  • Margin of error: ±2.1% at the 95% confidence interval
  • Results weighted to reflect AA Membership demographics (age, gender, and AA District)

Public panel
A nationally representative panel of the New Zealand public, sourced through PureProfile.

  • In field: 11 to 25 November
  • n=1,010
  • Margin of error equivalent: ±3.1% at the 95% confidence interval
  • Results weighted to reflect the New Zealand population (age, gender, and region)

Within the public panel, 66% identified as AA Members, 24% as non-members, and 10% were unsure. Where responses differed between AA Members and non-members, this has been highlighted in the results.

The two panels differ somewhat in their demographic profile and level of engagement with transport issues. The AA Member Voices Panel skews older and includes people who regularly participate in transport research, while the public panel includes a higher proportion of younger respondents and central city residents. These differences may contribute to variation between the results of the two groups.

The findings from this survey informed the AA’s 2026 Election Calls, helping to identify the transport priorities that New Zealanders believe the next Government should focus on.

Survey results will also guide the AA’s advocacy with Central Government and local road controlling authorities, ensuring that the views of AA Members and the wider public are reflected in transport policy and investment decisions.

Alongside survey results, the AA also considers research evidence, policy analysis, and input from AA District Councils across New Zealand to form the Association's advocacy positions.

Media contact and further information

  • For media enquiries, please contact the AA Manager of Research, Safety & Communications Dylan Thomsen, +64 4 931 9991
  • For information about the survey or further results, get in touch with our team at membervoices@aa.co.nz.
  • Visit the AA Transport Surveys to find out more about the survey programme.