Paul Goldsmith - Transport

21 January 2019

A substantial increase in fares for Auckland commuters is not going to help the Government’s goal of increasing public transport patronage and is yet another added cost to hardworking Kiwi families, National’s Transport spokesperson Paul Goldsmith says.

Phil Twyford and Julie-Anne Genter constantly talk about wanting to get more people out of their cars but their spending decisions don’t back that up.

“The Government is prioritising a slow tram to the Airport which will cost billions of dollars and for which nobody can understand the logic, instead of making spending decisions which will actually improve people’s lives.

“Of course it should be Auckland Transport’s priority to keep its cost under control so that Aucklanders can afford their transport.

“This is yet another hit in the pocket for hardworking Kiwis, on top of rents increasing by $30 a week because of poor policy decisions and increased taxes. The Government needs to look at its wasteful spending on the slow tram, free tertiary and Shane Jones’s slush fund and reprioritise this to areas that matter to New Zealanders.”

ends

© Scoop Media