21 March 2007

Greens call for time saving audit on Wellington city bypass

The Green Party is calling for an independent, post construction audit of the time savings, if any, that have ensued from the building of the Wellington city bypass, to establish whether the promises of savings made by Transit NZ prior to construction have in fact materialised.

"Transit used wildly inflated estimates of 7-9 minute savings at peak hour to beef up the cost benefit ratios and to justify building the bypass, including within its sworn testimony before the Environment Court," Green Party MP and Wellington Transport Spokesperson Sue Kedgley says.

"Now that it is built, Transit is frantically backtracking," Ms Kedgley says.

"Having spent $40 million building the bypass, we now need an independent audit to see whether the $40 million project has failed to deliver what officials promised.

"When large sums of money are involved, and the right to proceed has involved such controversy and competing claims, we have a right to know whether the promised targets have met, and the savings have been delivered, " Ms Kedgley says.

ENDS

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