AA calls for alternative strategy after survey finds members unimpressed by council plan

The City Rail Link (CRL) is the key project in an integrated transport programme to keep Auckland moving as the city grows by more than 700,000 people during the next 30 years. courtesy Auckland Transport.

Automobile Association members in Auckland are underwhelmed by what they may get in return for an average annual motorways toll bill of $350, the organisation says.

Both the AA and the Council for Infrastructure Development fear congestion will worsen over the next 20 years, and then ease only slightly, regardless of whether tolls or higher fuel taxes and rates are chosen to raise an extra $300 million annually for an enhanced transport package.

With submissions closing tonight on Auckland Council's 10-year budget - including views on whether to pay the extra money or settle for a "basic" transport package without a fully integrated fares structure and many improvements other than the $2.5 billion underground railway - the organisations have joined forces to call for an alternative strategy requiring the Government's buy-in.

Although the Government runs a tolling scheme of its own on Auckland's Northern Gateway road, it has consistently opposed the idea of the city using new motorway charges or fuel taxes to plug a $12 billion transport funding gap over 30 years.

AA principal infrastructure adviser Barney Irvine said his organisation had conducted its largest Auckland poll, to which about 6000 members had responded, supported by views of a "qualitative" panel of 100 people evenly spread across the city and its various transport modes.

Although 46 per cent preferred an enhanced transport network, only 18 per cent were willing to pay more than $30 a month to save a hypothetical 10 minutes in travel time a day from reduced congestion.

Mr Irvine said it was encouraging that most members said they would be prepared to pay some extra money, leaving just 24 per cent not wanting to fork out.

The majority of those prepared to dip deeper into their pockets preferred the more user-pays concept of motorway tolls to higher fuel taxes and rates.

But he said the support for enhanced transport spending, while representing "a decent chunk" of Aucklanders, was not enough to build a consensus.

He said congestion was expected to get worse over the next 20 years, regardless of which option was chosen.

"After that, it might ease under the [enhanced] Auckland Plan network, but only by a little," he said.

"When you think that most households would be paying $350 extra a year - with regular motorway users paying up to $1500 more a year - you have to question whether it's worth it."

He noted a strong perception among AA members that the council needed to curb wasteful spending before coming to them for more money.

Both Mr Irvine and Council for Infrastructure Development chief Stephen Selwood said the council needed to look more closely at how to reduce the demand for travel to try to limit the need for some transport capital projects.

Mr Selwood said a standard $2 toll would be "nuts", and the amount charged had to be adjusted according to time of day and levels of congestion to get the full benefit of the extra cost to motorists.

"If you go through all the pain and political challenges of putting it in place, and you don't vary it by time of day, you are significantly undermining that tool to give you better outcomes," he said.

The AA poll compares with about 56 per cent support from the enhanced transport spending plan among 5892 responses to an Auckland Council questionnaire received by March 6, and 52 per cent backing for motorway tolls against 37 per cent for higher fuel taxes and rates among 5811 responses.

AA poll
Support for Auckland Plan (enhanced spending)*
Transport network: 46 per cent
Basic transport network: 30 per cent
Other: 16 per cent
Don't know: 8 per cent.
*About 6000 responses