Greens keep up attack on road spending

The Green Party has questioned whether the $1.5 billion allocated in the Budget for roading can be justified by growth in traffic volumes.

Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said yesterday that Transit New Zealand figures showed a significant decrease in traffic on three Auckland motorways and a 5 per cent increase in patronage on Stagecoach buses.

Finance Minister Michael Cullen said there were serious safety and congestion problems throughout the country that needed to be fixed.

Further traffic growth would add to that and a 5 per cent increase in bus use in Auckland would not stop growth in traffic volumes elsewhere, he told Parliament.

The Government had increased spending on public transport 8 1/2-fold since it had been in power, he said.

"The fact that people say that public transport will improve their ability to get around Auckland doesn't mean to say they will actually use that public transport with the numbers to lead to no need for roads."

Dr Cullen claimed Ms Fitzsimons was making assumptions only about the movement of people. However, there was also movement of goods and services to be considered.

A great deal of Auckland's traffic was made up of the transporting of goods and services, he said.

Dr Cullen said the Government was not reducing the amount it spent on public transport and people should "watch this space" for "further issues" on rail.

Ms Fitzsimons last week described the Budget as "a mad, petrol-headed Budget" and said the public wanted better public transport.

- NZPA