Tauranga Eastern Link is one of two roads already tolled in Tauranga. Photo / John Borren
Tauranga Eastern Link is one of two roads already tolled in Tauranga. Photo / John Borren
OPINION
In the Tauranga Business Chamber’s latest poll of our business community, we asked whether there is support for a new transport initiative being investigated by the Government and Tauranga City Council.
They are starting to investigate whether to toll vehicles using Tauranga’s main roads at peak travel periods –‘road pricing’. The initiative would aim to reduce traffic demand at peak periods while raising funding for local transport projects and encouraging more people to use alternative modes of travel.
From our poll, it’s clear that businesses are not in favour of the idea, with a strong 70 per cent of respondents saying they don’t support it.
Comments were vast and strong, some suggesting it’s pointless because our bus service is poor, while others said Tauranga is already over-tolled. A number of comments also showed an overall lack of trust that this funding would be invested wisely, based on current examples.
Someone pointed out the irony that it discourages people to go to work to be productive members of society, which is precisely what our country needs right now.
So where has this idea come from? Local councils are not to blame, entirely.
This is a government policy, expecting cities to reduce their total vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT) per year. The Government hopes this will reduce emissions and alleviate climate change.
But in order to meet the VKT target, growing cities like Tauranga, with an annual population increase of 2-3 per cent, would need a lot more people to stop using vehicles.
At last month’s Tauranga public transport joint committee meeting, advisers noted Tauranga’s bus kilometres travelled would need to be increased from 1.3 per cent to a whopping 15 per cent to achieve the VKT target by 2035. But this amount of mode shift would still have a very limited impact on projected emission savings.
Both the Bay of Plenty Regional councillors and Tauranga commissioners appeared to me to be miffed at being asked to carry out very expensive modelling and planning, just to deliver unpopular projects that won’t achieve the desired outcomes.
Tauranga Business Chamber chief executive Matt Cowley. Photo / Mead Norton
The Catch-22 is that if councils are not working towards achieving the VKT targets, they risk losing the multimillion-dollar subsidies from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency – creating significant funding shortfalls ratepayers would need to fund.
This policy prioritises flawed objectives over improving economic productivity. It’s the same logic that believes extending Hamilton’s Te Huia passenger train to Tauranga would reduce traffic emissions.
However, it would likely cause more emissions if it disrupts the current freight trains going to and from the Port of Tauranga and industries decide it’s easier to use trucks instead.
I feel there is an overall lack of confidence in New Zealand’s current transport direction.
It takes way too long for projects to be approved and construction to be completed. There is too much focus on unpopular elements that arguably do not make it easier for people and freight to get around, while not achieving emission reductions.
People want to see their existing transport user fees and taxes spent more wisely before anyone asks for more funding.
Businesses are looking for clear leadership from political parties during the election campaign. They are outcomes-focused, wanting good value for money transport investments that keep our people and goods moving as easily as possible.
Matt Cowley is the chief executive of the Tauranga Business Chamber.
