Road user charges to rise in October

Photo / Paul Estcourt

Driving is set a cost New Zealanders more from October, with road user charges and fuel excise duty both due to increase, Transport Minister Steven Joyce announced today.

The RUC increases were expected to increase total running costs by between 0.5 and 1 per cent, depending on vehicle size, with the increase in excise duty adding a constant three cents per litre of petrol for all vehicles.

It was estimated that the RUC increase would add $4.63 per 1,000km to the cost of running an average two tonne diesel car.

Heavier vehicles would pay more, with three tonne SUVs to pay an extra $5.03 per 1000km.

Typical large truck and trailer combinations would be expected to pay between 4 and 6 per cent more in RUC depending on configuration.

The maximum increase for diesel vehicles was 10 per cent, at an average of 7 per cent.

The increases in RUC would flow into the proposed National Land Transport Fund to assist investment in national transport projects.

Mr Joyce said the ongoing investment was crucial in assisting economic growth and would enable greater productivity to be gained from the transport network.

"The additional revenue from these increases will contribute to the billion dollars annually that we now invest in developing our state highway infrastructure," he said.

Refunds of road user charges for unused kilometres will be automatically provided at the time a new licence was purchased.

- NZPA