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Aucklanders will go mad waiting ten years for road pricing

Aucklanders will go mad waiting ten years for road pricing

ACT Leader David Seymour is calling on Transport Minister Simon Bridges to start trialing road pricing in the next parliamentary term.

"It's not enough to just announce. We can't wait ten years to implement road pricing. As Auckland drivers know, we're at crisis point now.

"If we want a world-leading road pricing system, researching overseas systems won't be enough. We'll need to implement something original and learn our own lessons. Kinks and complications in the implementation of road pricing are inevitable. Let's get those out of the way early and adjust based on that experience.

"Other businesses - airlines, accommodation, grocery stores - adjust pricing in times of shortage to shift demand toward times of surplus. Now that we've got the technology, using prices to ensure consistent availability of road space is a no-brainer. With GPS tracking of traffic we could adjust pricing of specific routes in real time. It could be an absolute game changer.

"The Government should commit to some form of road pricing trial in the next parliamentary term. A commitment to action in ten years' time is no commitment at all, as a future Government may decide to delay further.

"It's like they think they're so overwhelmed by the problems of 2017, they've skipped a decade and are trying to govern in the 2020s.

"This governing-by-time-travel attitude is becoming familiar, with affordable superannuation announced for 2040, light rail to Auckland airport for 2047, and pest-free Aotearoa for 2050. This year, supporters of the Government may have to choose between National for announcements, or ACT for action."

ENDS

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