Route K busier after toll booths go

Simon Bridges said his own use of Route K had jumped to about 20 times a month now the tolling is electric. Photo / John Borren

Tauranga's original toll road, Route K, has experienced a surge in activity since the toll booths were removed.

The NZ Transport Agency recorded an 11 per cent increase in traffic using Route K since electronic payment came in on August 1.

In 2014, the average number of vehicles on the Takitimu Drive toll road was 5400 per day. Since electronic tolling began, the average number of vehicles per day has been 6000. Of these, 81 per cent were light vehicles such as cars, motorbikes and light trucks, the figures show.

The new Tauranga Eastern Link, which was opened on the same day, has also experienced more traffic than predicted with an average of 6400 vehicles per day - 400 more than originally forecast.

Most vehicles using the TEL highway had been cars and other light vehicles, with only 14 per cent being trucks heavier than 3.5 tonnes.

Transport Minister and Tauranga MP Simon Bridges said he suspected the electronic technology had made travelling the road more convenient for people who might not have had cash on them.

The online account also served if motorists wanted to use the TEL also, he said.

"My use has gone up from probably a couple of times every month to about 20 times in that period and that's because I'm using it on a regular weekly basis."

Mr Bridges said Route K was great because it helped de-clog inner city streets such as Cameron Rd.

NZ Transport Agency's Bay of Plenty highways manager, Niclas Johansson, said many people did not carry cash these days, so it was easier. If people did not have an account, they had five days to pay.

Mr Johansson said he expected traffic on the TEL to continue rising, "especially with the predicted population boom that is expected in Papamoa".

There had been plenty of positive feedback on the TEL and some criticism, mostly from people who missed the Te Puke exit and ended up travelling on the TEL when that was not their intention, he said.

"As a result we are reviewing the signage to see if we can make it clearer but it may also take some time for people to get used to the road layout."

Mr Johansson said Te Puke residents said they enjoyed the change because there was less noise and fewer trucks and the chance to create something different in the town centre.

"One Auckland man called our Tauranga office last month to tell us that he didn't mind paying the toll because the road was 'simply gorgeous' and 'surely the eighth wonder of the world'," Mr Johansson said.

It was too early to establish how many toll payments were outstanding but it had increased the normal timeframe for payment from five to 19 business days after a trip was recorded.

Getting electronic

To save money, customers can pre-purchase up to 10 tolls in one transaction, incurring
only one $1.20 fee (12 cents per toll). Or they can buy or pay tolls online at
www.tollroad.govt.nz and
avoid the transaction fee altogether. People can also pay for tolls in person at Caltex or BP service stations.