Readers' views: Mayors want tolls on roads

Background: Mayors of three Auckland cities want the Government to give them power to toll motorists on existing roads to bridge an ever-widening transport funding gap. They have resolved - but not without dissent - to send Auckland City Mayor Dick Hubbard to Wellington to press their case with Government ministers.

Road tolls on new roads may be acceptable, retrospectively on existing roads isn't. But is this any more repulsive than having to pay a toll to use every road in the city via a CBD entry tax as used in London and Singapore for instance?
- Alan

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I support the idea of introducing tolls to clogged existing roads in Auckland. This will both raise money for development of the roading network and encourage people to use alternative methods of transport. The sooner we, as Auckland residents, realise we need to look to other methods of transport as much as possible, the sooner we will have a clean and accessible city.
- Fraser Law 

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Lets start an Auckland Party in time for the next election. Stuff the local politicians they obviously have no influence in Wellington. An Auckland Party in parliament holding the balance of power between National and Labour would surely result in more of those Auckland tax payer dollars heading back Aucklands way. With over 1 million people living in the Auckland region and expanding, maybe the time is right for the people of Auckland to have a voice in parliament and stand up for what is ours! If the Maori Party can secure 4 seats out of one issue maybe Auckland should give it a try?
- Hamish Pryce

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Obviously the Mayors of Auckland have not taken into account that a large part of Auckland's population fall into the lower income brackets and have no thought to the financial distress road tolls would cause low income families. These families have already been hit by the increases in the price of petrol and transport costs such as bus and train fares. Can we please find a way to retrieve some of our petrol and road user taxes from the Government without adding more stress to a population that is already finding it hard to make ends meet.
- Anne

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- Absolutely not! It is the fault of the mayors and councillors of the Auckland region that we are traffic congested in the first place. Now they want ME to pay for their procrastination? Had they not dallied and dithered on finishing roading projects from 30-40 years ago, argued about road versus rail, argued over red tape on who pays for what as a result of seven councils to manage one urban sprawl, Auickland's traffic problems would have been greatly reduced.
- Damien

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NO! 3 times NO! How out of touch do these Mayors (George Wood excluded)have to be before they realise they are not on the same planet as those they are supposed to represent. Tax us (income), tax us again (fuel) and then tax us again to use something that our taxes have already paid for? If they want to go cap in hand to our capital, then they should be going with the demand that the taxes we already pay are used for the purpose for which they are collected.
- Craig Muir

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Last one out turn off the lights. These mayors are little kings in their kingdoms with asinine councils who tax and spend, tax and spend, meanwhile the people are leaving for places where people are encouraged to work and enjoy life. Our mayors are too busy pandering to minority interest groups wasting money on projects that are a huge waste of resources. Simple answer: two new bridges, but get an overseas contracting firm to build it otherwise it will take as long as the Upper Harbour Highway bridge. Then elevate all the motorways, thus doubling the capacity. Run a monorail down the centre and above to the main hubs, and use all the road tax/petrol tax for roads!
- Logan

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I have written to the 3 mayors about my disgust at the proposed tolling of the main arterial link, saying:
Hello, I see you 3 guys want to go to the Govt to get legislation to toll EXISTING roads. I see this as no more than another tax grab on the ratepayers of the region. These roads have already been paid for out of taxes and should not be tolled. Local ratepayers are already over burdened with excessive rates extorted by local councils. Asking for tolls is the cowards way out, go to the Government to get the tax that has already been paid for by the motorist already. This money should not be being spent on government social engineering. Auckland must pay at least 25% of all fuel taxed in NZ. Get this tax for the regions roads instead. Another reason more people should have voted National, one of their policies was to get all of the fuel taxes spent on the roads. I am sure this would have gone along way to solving the regions roading problems.
- Peter Bickle

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Let the Government pay back the transport levies already paid but stolen to use as election bribes during the last election. Also the additional petrol taxes imposed to pay for Auckland roads
- Hugh Reid