The new plan for New Zealand's land transport has been announced today, as the Government attempts to free up Kiwis locked in gridlock traffic, improve public transport and boost safe travelling.
The Government are allocating $1.1 billion to walking and cycle projects, $4.8b for rapid transit and $8b to public transport.
Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter said in the next three years, funding will be doubled for "safe cycleways, a significant funding boost to make public transport more frequent and affordable, and investment in light rail and rapid bus lines in our major centres.
"By shifting funding from away from a few costly urban motorway projects we’ll also free up investment to make critical safety improvements on rural roads right across the country.
"An annual four cents a litre extra on fuel will support an extra $5 billion of investment over the next decade to deliver more affordable public transport and build safer roads," Ms Genter said.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson said the 2018 Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS) is influential to their goal of "transitioning the economy to more sustainable growth, and will promote more inclusive growth by spreading increases in transport investment across every region".
"We know that productivity and economic growth in New Zealand has been held back by gridlock in our cities and under-investment in regional roads and rail."
For more information on the GPS, click here.
It comes as the Government announced this morning it will increase petrol tax by 3.5c a litre on October 1 and by the same amount again next year, and in 2020.
It says the increase in petrol excise is consistent with regular increases under the previous government.
The October increase will cost the average household 83 cents a week, and the lowest income families will pay an extra 40 cents a week on average.
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