Motorway tolls unfair say councillors

Proposed motorway tolls could be unavoidably unfair for all Aucklanders, two councillors say.

Albany councillors Wayne Walker and John Watson say they have ‘‘serious misgivings’’ about the toll option outlined in the Independent Advisory Body’s report.

Instead, the councillors say central Government should foot more of the bill for growing Auckland’s transport system.

‘‘Huge growth is being imposed from Wellington even though Auckland’s transport network can’t cope with the current population – they need to help a lot more to provide the necessary infrastructure,’’ Walker says.

‘‘The rail network in Wellington was 100 per cent funded by central government yet in Auckland the poor old ratepayer is being asked to stump up 50 per cent of the City Rail Link cost. That’s not equitable,’’ Walker says.

The pair point out that once complete, the CRL’s tracks and tunnels, which make up 75 per cent of its cost, will be handed over to government-owned KiwiRail.

Auckland Council would retain the CRL’s stations and should therefore only pay station build costs of $600 million, Watson and Walker say.

In the face of the Government’s unwillingness to up its CRL contribution, user-pays tolls are largely seen as the most practicable to implement the funding option the advisory body has proposed.

Tolls would possibly only apply during daytime hours. Drivers could elect to use other roads that remain free, the report says.

‘‘Some people are willing to consider the concept of paying a toll for a new road if there’s an alternative route but that’s about as far most are willing to go,’’ Watson says.

However, thousands of commuters, especially those on the North Shore, have no choice but to use motorways and the harbour bridge, Watson and Walker say.

Automobile Association ( AA) transport spokesman Barney Irvine says motorways are in fact ‘‘unavoidable’’ for all Aucklanders.