Most drivers would accept tolls: survey

By SCOTT MacLEOD

Four out of five Aucklanders are willing to pay tolls on new highways if it means they can travel more quickly.

An Automobile Association transport survey of 801 city people found that 42 per cent would regularly pay a toll if the new route was quick enough, 40 per cent would use the road occasionally, and just 18 per cent would avoid it if possible.

Another major finding was that 12 per cent of Aucklanders were willing to ditch their vehicles for public transport, and a further 25 per cent were "uncommitted" to their cars.

Lobbyists are using the figures to urge more speed in finishing road and public transport plans, and one transport chief said tolls could help to pay for an eastern highway or second harbour crossing.

Auckland Regional Council transport committee chairman Les Paterson cited the Tauranga-Mt Maunganui link as one example of tolls working well.

He said they were a good idea as long as there was an alternative route for motorists who did not want to pay.

But he felt that tolls were unlikely to speed the slow progress building Auckland's motorways.

Most of the delay was caused by grappling with resource consents and other paperwork.

Transit New Zealand controls state highways and local councils manage other roads.

Derrick Hitchins, Transit's regional traffic operations manager in Auckland, said the toll issue needed to be tackled at Government level.

Transit's role was to build and manage roads rather than gather revenue, and its money came from Transfund, the national road financing body.

Transfund chief executive Martin Gummer said his organisation had no official view on tolls, but they could be an option for the proposed eastern motorway or second harbour crossing if there was enough public support.

But he said special legislation was needed to charge tolls on a road.

The Government was looking at tolls as part of a policy review, said Mr Gummer.

"The situation could change, and this survey is a useful contribution."

ARC transport director Barry Mein said the 12 per cent figure for Aucklanders who would willingly switch to public transport was enough to make an impact.

But he questioned how the survey was conducted and said the AA had its own agenda.

The AA said its survey showed that Aucklanders wanted transport chiefs to hurry up and finish building motorway and public transport routes.

Northern regional manager Stephen Selwood said there was also a need for transport bodies to cooperate more. He called for Transit to be merged with the ARC and other groups under an umbrella body.

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