The Mayor of Auckland says any congestion charge must change people's behaviour to help cut carbon emissions and not just add another cost to their lives.
Phil Goff says Auckland’s ever-increasing population, coupled with the need to address the issue that much of the city’s emissions come from transport, means something has got to give.
“The option of doing nothing isn’t an option at all,” Goff told Breakfast.
However, he says his support for a congestion charge, which is expected to be announced by the Government later this month, is contingent on Aucklanders having access to reliable public transport that is affordable for them.
“For me, no big deal, it’s going to be less than a cup of coffee.
“But for somebody on a low income, that could hit them hard.”
Phil Goff says his support for a congestion charge is conditional on decent public transport and equity. (Source: 1News)
Goff says projects such as the expansions to the North Shore and eastern busways, as well as the City Rail Link, are helping to create viable alternatives to Aucklanders having to use their cars.
However, he says there must also be a deterrent, such as a congestion charge.
“You’ve got to have a little bit of carrot and a little bit of stick.”
Goff says that if the charge is introduced, he says it would mean the phasing out of the regional fuel tax, adding that the key thing is to change people’s behaviour, not lump them with yet another cost.
He has responded to concerns that the charge might further affect businesses in the central city that have already seen a massive drop in customers due to the pandemic, saying it “could have an impact” and this was something that would need to be watched carefully.
However, Goff is optimistic about the effect making the central city more accessible will have.
“I think Queen Street, in the city centre, will really come back to life.”
The National leader says the devil is in the detail about whether the proposed fee will work for Auckland. (Source: 1News)
Meanwhile, National leader, Christopher Luxon, says his party is “broadly supportive” of a congestion charge but that the “devil’s in the detail” about whether it will work for Kiwis.
“The big challenge is that it isn’t treated as an asset grab and is actually revenue neutral.”
Luxon told Breakfast he’s looked into how similar schemes have been implemented in countries around the world and they appear to have been largely successful, reducing emissions by between 8-12%.
But he, like Goff, believes that Aucklanders must have decent alternative options in order for the congestion charge to work effectively.
Park and Ride
Phil Goff says a proposal to make people pay for car parks at its park’n’ride services is “under consideration” by the Council.
The scheme involves people driving to a station and then using public transport for the rest of their journey and is currently free.
However, Auckland Transport has put forward a draft proposal, which would see some users of the scheme charged for parking.
Goff says the problem is that some people aren’t using the car parks as intended and that expanding them would only encourage more Aucklanders to drive rather than use “feeder services”.
He says these aren’t available yet but are the sort of thing that needs to be brought in to move more towards a public transport system.
SHARE ME