Congestion Charging Inquiry Proposes Raiding Commuters' Wallets

Responding to the release of the Transport Select Committee inquiry into congestion charging, New Zealand Taxpayers' Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says:

"Every cent of revenue raised by congestion pricing must be returned to motorists, such as through a reduction in the regional fuel tax."

"The select committee pays lip service to the idea that congestion charges are about cutting congestion, not raising revenue. Then it completely undermines that idea with a recommendation to raid revenues to 'reinvest public and active transport'. That's a blatant tax grab and a breach of the 'no new taxes' promise."

"We support smart congestion pricing to manage demand on our roads in a way that benefits taxpayers, not politicians. But this inquiry has hijacked a good idea and mutated it into a scheme that pumps up the government coffers."

"As we warned in June, if there’s even a hint that this policy will be used to extract more money from commuters, the idea will become politically toxic. Trust us, Minister Wood, you do not want this fight."

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