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Road transport
Road transport is the dominant mode of transportation in New Zealand. It is responsible for over 90 per cent of our national transport-related greenhouse gas emissions and 67 per cent of our national freight movement.
Road transport is a vital link that brings people and goods together across New Zealand. We rely on it to get to work, and to access educational, social and recreational activities. Road transport also connects suppliers to markets and helps showcase our natural environment through tourism.
We have a widely distributed population due to our topography and sprawling urban centres, which both contribute to a greater reliance on road transport.
Environmental indicator
The pressure road transport places on the environment is assessed by measuring the distance travelled (also known as vehicle kilometres travelled, or VKT) by motorised vehicles on New Zealand roads.
For more information on other national transport indicators see the:
- Ministry of Transport’s Transport Monitoring Indicator Framework
- Ministry of Tourism’s Environmental Indicator Set for New Zealand Tourism
- Ministry of Health’s New Zealand Environmental Health Indicator Project.
This information has come from the environmental report card on vehicle kilometres travelled by road.
Last updated: March 2009
