Little support for tolling schemes

Government suggestions for pricing many Aucklanders out of their cars to tackle congestion are driving into a major road block - a damning Automobile Association membership survey.

The association, which has more than a million members and wants all fuel tax spent on roads and other transport items before any new funding tool is wielded, says early survey results spell trouble for charging options raised in a weighty Ministry of Transport study.

"The results speak for themselves - members are very concerned about the options and don't support them," said AA Auckland transport spokesman Simon Lambourne after an initial assessment of 1639 responses to the 30-question postal survey.

His organisation decided to run the survey to guide its position on the ministry study, before a deadline of April 28 for public comment.

"It is fair to say the AA submission will not be supportive of the options, given our members' views," Mr Lambourne said

With even more questionnaires expected back over Easter, those received within just five days of a mail-out the previous weekend represented a 26 per cent response rate, offering a margin for error of 2.5 per cent.

This compared with a 15.6 per cent response rate for a ministry survey of 600 Aucklanders, giving a 4 per cent margin for error, after it proved difficult finding enough people representative of some groups such as young males and ethnic minorities.

In the AA survey of Auckland members, 66 per cent were against paying more than they already did to fix the region's transport woes, and 33 per cent were strongly critical.

But they were not so clear-cut over whether Aucklanders should be discouraged from driving their cars.

Only 50 per cent opposed making transport changes to get people out of private vehicles, and 43 per cent supported the idea.

The ministry considered four road-charging schemes with maximum daily fees of $5 or $6 to drive in congested areas during the 6am to 10am traffic peak, and a parking surcharge of $10 a day in the centres of Auckland's four cities.

Its options include two types of cordon around the Auckland isthmus which could cost $3 each to cross, or $6 on the harbour bridge; a distance-based toll on congested strategic roads; and a $5 fee to drive inside a central area north of Balmoral, Greenlane and Remuera Rds.

The Government will weigh up submissions before deciding whether to investigate any particular scheme in greater detail, with a view to passing enabling legislation to allow it to be tested.

Of the 600 Aucklanders surveyed in the ministry's two-year study, 94 per cent believed it important to reduce traffic congestion in the region, and an even higher 98 per cent of 302 business leaders felt likewise.

The general public were almost evenly split on whether some type of road-charging scheme would be good or bad for Auckland at a hypothetical level of $2.50c, with 45 per cent opposing the idea and 44 per cent for it.

Support declined to 23 per cent for a $5 fee, and to 13 per cent for $10.

But when asked how they would feel if revenue raised was spent in areas they considered important, 60 per cent said they would support a $2.50c fee, although backing dropped to 31 per cent for $5 and 18 per cent for $10.

Greatest support was indicated for spending proceeds on improved public transport frequency and routes, followed by transferable tickets across all stages of a journey.

More roads came third in the general public preference stakes, although businesspeople rated these as their top priority, followed closely by better public transport.

The ministry has taken heart from the fact that 38 per cent support for road-pricing in central London before a £5 ($14) fee was introduced in 2003 rose to 57 per cent afterwards, although that figure eased to 54 per cent the next year.

The London scheme, for which the fee has since risen to £8 ($22.60c), is credited with reducing congestion by 30 per cent.

But London already had highly developed public transport, and those opposed to charges in Auckland say they would be unfair unless far more is done to improve bus, train and ferry services first.

Hefty investment in public transport is proposed for each of the ministry's five charging options, although only three of these would pay for themselves once mitigating costs are added.

The AA did not ask members if they would look kindlier on road charges if proceeds went to public transport or more roads, but 20 per cent said they would use buses, trains or ferries more, rather than pay a $10 parking levy on top of existing charges.

A further 5 per cent would walk or cycle more and 11 per cent would avoid driving between 6am and 10am.

This compared with 18 per cent who would switch to public transport rather than pay a $5 fee for driving within central Auckland, 4 per cent who would walk or cycle more, and 19 per cent who would stay off the roads during the chargeable period.

The AA has yet to issue results for the other three options, but Mr Lambourne indicated the ministry would have a hard task persuading his members to accept any of them.

Almost two-thirds, or 64 per cent, of those surveyed signalled opposition to the $5 charge and an even higher 74 per cent were against the parking levy. 

 
Tolling times

The schemes
* AA Auckland members whose daily travel, if unchanged, means they would have to pay up:
* Area charge of $5 a day - 49.6 per cent potentially affected.
* Parking surcharge of $10 a day - 36 per cent potentially affected.

Initial reactions
* Area charge: 65 per cent opposed, 24 per cent in support.
* Parking surcharge: 74 per cent opposed, 14 per cent in support.