2 JULY 2018

The Government’s suggestion to toll the new Transmission Gully motorway appears to be another revenue-grab, despite the Transport Minister’s claims otherwise, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “If the proposed toll just was about managing the popularity of the route, the Minister would commit to making the toll revenue neutral. In other words, he would cut fuel taxes across the region to compensate for the toll.”

“Instead, he’s doing the opposite, giving Wellington Regional Council the option of introducing their own regional fuel tax.”

“Using tolling to manage demand should involve responsive pricing, such as charging drivers at rush hour, but not at night-time. Simply giving drivers a flat bill stinks of revenue-gathering that will regressively hit the poor.”

ENDS

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