Maurice Williamson National Party Transport Spokesman

1 June 2005

Stop 'dicking around' over Transmission Gully

National's Transport spokesman, Maurice Williamson, says it is time the "dicking around" over Transmission Gully stopped and Labour cleared the way for the private sector to begin work on it immediately.

He is commenting on a report that the plan to build Transmission Gully, on Wellington's northern exit, is about to be killed off in favour of an alternative route from Petone to Grenada.

"This type of piecemeal idea to fix a massive problem is not the solution.

"If Transit has decided the road does not meet its funding criteria then the solution is to cut the private sector loose and let them get on and build it.

"Letting the private sector in is the key here, and that was always the intention of the Land Transport Management Act, but it has never come about.

"The private sector should be allowed to start investing in Transmission Gully so it can start work on it now, and leave it up to those who choose to use it to pay a toll.

"If we want this road built within a realistic time frame it will only happen by way of the private sector.

"National will reform the LTMA to make it more flexible and more encouraging of the private sector to get involved," Mr Williamson says.

ENDS

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