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Driving Driving

Find out how driving in the City Centre is changing.

We're working to improve Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland's city centre. We're making it a space for all that's greener, safer, and better connected. This will be in line with the City Centre Masterplan, Auckland's 20 year vision for our city centre and waterfront.

To help people travel to and within the city centre more efficiently, we're reshaping how we use city centre streets. We'll be giving more space to people:

  • using public transport
  • walking
  • cycling
  • servicing and delivering to homes and buildings.

We're also shifting the city centre from a place people 'go through' to a place people 'go to'. One example is the new EVA we're introducing on Queen Street between Wakefield Street and Wellesley Street.

The new Essential Vehicle Area (EVA)

From 3 July 2022, the area between the Civic Theatre on Wellesley Street and the Town Hall at the intersection of Wakefield Street has become an Essential Vehicle Area, or EVA.

An illustration in the style of a map showing Queen Street, Mayoral Drive, Wakefield Street, Wellesley Street, Kitchener Street, Lorne Street, Victoria Street East, and Durham Street East. Several buildings by the streets are depicted in 3D. Wakefield Street and Wellesley Street are shown in green. The area of Queen Street between the intersection of Queen Street and Wakefield Street and Queen Street and Wellesley Street is shown in red. In the middle of this red section of road is the image of a white rectangle with a red outline. In the rectangle is a black and white image of a bus and the words 'GV Lane' underneath it. People are seen walking around this red section of road. A bus is shown travelling along Wellesley Street. Another bus can be seen stopping on Queen Street, near the intersection of Queen Street and Victoria Street East. Several people can be seen standing near Aotea Square, and a cyclist is seen on upper Queen Street. In the top right of the image is a box labelled 'Key'. It shows a blue, pill-shaped symbol with a white letter P and a white image of a person in a wheelchair. To the right of this icon are the words 'Mobility Parking'. Below this is a red rectangle with white dotted lines passing through its centre, the same style as the red area shown on Queen Street. To the right of this red graphic are the words 'Essential Vehicle Area'. The mobility parking icon appears on the map next to the intersection of Queen Street and Wellesley Street (on the right side of Queen Street), on either side of Queen Street just past the intersection of Wakefield Street and Queen Street, and on an unlabelled road that intersects with Wakefield Street, near Lorne Street.

This means that this part of Queen Street is now closed to private vehicles, taxis, and car share services. 

The EVA applies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you enter the EVA with an unauthorised vehicle, you'll receive a $150 infringement fee. 

View a map of routes to mobility parking and drop-off and pick-up spaces near the EVA. (PDF 734KB)

Watch this video in NZSL. (Note: The NZSL video has no sound)

Vehicles that can use an EVA

The only vehicles that can use an EVA are:

  • buses
  • bikes
  • mopeds
  • motorbikes
  • emergency vehicles
  • vehicles registered with Waka Kotahi as 'goods vehicles'.

If you enter the EVA with any other type of vehicle, you'll receive a $150 infringement fee. 

Other routes you can take

To travel east to west across the city centre, you can use:

  • Mayoral Drive
  • Customs Street
  • Wyndham Street
  • Shortland Street.

If your destination is not in the city centre, look for alternative routes to get you around faster and more efficiently. Consider taking:

  • Customs Street
  • Mayoral Drive
  • or the motorway.

If you can, now is a great time to consider taking the bus, walking, or riding a bike to this area.