Visitor praises plan to lift parking fees

Parking fee rises planned for central Auckland were hailed by a visiting London political leader yesterday as a necessary step towards beating crippling traffic congestion.

Dunedin-born Dame Judith Mayhew Jonas is here primarily as guest speaker at an Auckland University dinner tonight honouring distinguished graduates, but she will also hold a seminar today on congestion charging and economic development in London's business heart.

Dame Judith, who moved to Britain as a lawyer in the 1970s, was for seven years until 2003 the independent political leader of the corporation governing the city's financial district and still chairs an economic development panel for London's colourful mayor, Ken Livingstone. She is also the first female provost of King's College, Cambridge, and is chairwoman of the Royal Opera House.

Her arrival in Auckland yesterday coincided with a disclosure of city council plans to widen a $4 an hour parking meter zone, a move which she said was essential to reducing congestion to tolerable levels for both the public and business. "It's a step in the right direction," she said, adding that it would also be necessary to squeeze the amount of parking space available while making public transport more attractive.

London introduced a 5 ($13) daily congestion charge in 2003 for motorists entering its central zone and Mr Livingstone sees his re-election last year as a mandate for expanding the controversial scheme.

A similar proposal for Edinburgh, but covering a far larger area with a double-cordon, was soundly rejected last month in a postal referendum.

Dame Judith acknowledged disappointment at the result and thought it may have been because of fears of increased traffic congestion outside the inner of the proposed two cordons, as motorists jostled for parking space to avoid charges for driving into the city centre.

She said a 30 per cent reduction in congestion in inner London streets and cleaner air had won public backing for the new fee in that city.

It was essential that Auckland curb congestion, but it could not make headway without expanding public transport and reducing car-parking spaces.