Government Puts Transport Policy into Reverse

Friday 30th Mar 2001 Penny Webster Media Release -- Other

The Government has caved in to the Greens’ ideology and is threatening to set back the country’s transport systems years, ACT Transport Spokesman Penny Webster said.

“The latest announcement from the Government on the Auckland rail network misses the point. People prefer to travel by car and you will not change that whatever you do with the Auckland network.

“Why put a heap of money into a transport system that is not going to fix the problem of traffic congestion? Government and local government owning the rail tracks together is no better than cross subsidisation and far worse than motorists paying tolls – which ACT believes is the way forward.

“American urban transport experts Wendell Cox and Randal O’Toole recently pointed out that a single motorway lane would carry five times more people than the Auckland rail network.

“At least with a toll the motorist has a choice and the road is being maintained. All that will happen with the Government ploughing money into rail is that we will continue to have under-utilised rail services and a clogged, inadequate roading system.

“Michael Cullen is now clearly raising the possibility of re-nationalising the whole rail network. To do so will involve the Government in ad hoc repurchasing of existing systems, which will be money down the drain.

“Until we have a Government prepared to invest money in the sophisticated roading system needed, we will have no answer to the transport problems,” Mrs Webster said.

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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