Denis O’Rourke MP

Spokesperson for Transport
23 JULY 2014

Opportunity Knocks for Wellington with Light Rail Link

A light rail link between Wellington city and the airport is a common sense, smart move, says New Zealand First.

“The time is right, following the rejection of the Basin Reserve Flyover, for a thorough cost-benefit study to get a true picture of light rail (modern trams) as an alternative to congested roads,” says Transport Spokesperson Denis O’Rourke.

“The rejection of the flyover was the right decision but leaves Wellington with inadequate transport infrastructure.

“One only needs to look at what has been done in hundreds of successful cities.

“The problems being encountered with more and more bigger and ugly roads affecting city dwellers indicate that the light rail alternative needs to be reconsidered, and reconsidered fairly and fully.

“If a genuine cost-benefit study was carried out, taking all relevant factors into account, including a full range of factors from transport generated air pollution to the cost of road accidents, then we would get a true picture of the value of the light rail alternative” he says.

“In addition, it is necessary for the full range of social and economic considerations to be taken into account.

“If the government was not so besotted with its retrograde and massively expensive Roads of National Significance (RONS) policy, and was willing to fully fund modern electrified passenger light rail services, such as are proposed in New Zealand First’s Railways of National Importance (RONI) policy, then early progress could be made.”

ENDS

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