North Shore Times (New Zealand)
Auckland congestion charge eyed-up
Authorities will forge ahead with a ‘‘compelling case’’ to charge Aucklanders a road user tax to help ease congestion.
Auckland Council and the Government have been investigating ‘‘congestion pricing’’ as a method to ease congestion by charging road users at different times of the day and locations throughout the city. It is designed to encourage road users to change the time, route or way they travel.
A report into congestion pricing that was presented to the Auckland Council planning committee said Auckland congestion was getting worse across the city and trips across the city could take 40 to 55 per cent longer in the future.
‘‘This means that Aucklanders’ access to jobs, education and other opportunities will become more difficult, negatively impacting both the productivity and liveability of the city.’’
The report, titled ‘‘The Congestion Question’’, builds on the Auckland Transport Alignment Project (ATAP) - the council’s 30-year vision for Auckland’s transport system, released in 2016.
Congestion would become more widespread, even after significant investment in roading and public transport, unless congestion pricing was introduced, the report said.
A scheme that applied across the entire city may be the best long-term solution however, a staged rollout starting with smaller scale options was likely to be the best approach, it said.
There were many international examples of congestion pricing successfully easing congestion - in some cases reducing congestion by up to 30 per cent, which was similar to the reduction Auckland experiences during school holidays.
However, implementing congestion pricing in Auckland would be ‘‘uncharted territory’’ due to the city’s widespread congestion, heavy car dependency and dispersed commuting patterns.
Automatic number plate recognition was likely to be the best technology to charge motorists, but GPS technology could be an option in the future.
Mayor Phil Goff said every week there were 800 new cars on Auckland’s roads.
Goff has approved phase two of the project, which would evaluate different pricing options before reaching a recommendation on whether or not it should be introduced. Phase two to be completed by August.