John MacDonald: How do we pay for new roads without tolls?

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald

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Like anyone, if I can get something for free - I’ll take it.

But if it’s something I have to pay for, then I’ll pay it. Which is how I’m feeling about all this fuss over the new Woodend Bypass, north of Christchurch, being a toll road.

Granted, I won’t be a daily user, so the financial impact on me won’t be the same as it will for someone who uses it every day.

But let’s get a grip. Toll roads are the future.

Tell that to Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon, though, who is very upset that NZTA plans to charge car drivers $2.50 for a return trip on the bypass. He says many families can’t afford that.

It will cost $5 for trucks, by the way.

I'm not sure what planet Dan Gordon has been on for the last 12 months. But this idea of the new bypass being a toll road was being hinted at by the Government more than a year ago.

Last July, Simeon Brown was Transport Minister and he was saying back then that charging people to use the new road was definitely on the table.

But Dan Gordon's not the only one upset about it. The principal of Kaiapoi North School isn’t happy, either.

Jason Miles reckons most locals will just avoid the toll road altogether - so they don’t have to pay - and they’ll use the road that goes past his school instead.

And he’s worried about the impact that could have on the safety of his students.

Now if I was awarding a prize to either the mayor or the school principal for the strongest argument against the road toll, I’d give it to the school principal.

Because, ever since the bypass at Woodend has been discussed, safety has been a major issue.

So, yes, it would seem counterintuitive to spend billions on a bypass only to have it create other safety issues because of people not wanting to pay to use it and using an alternative route.

But these days - if we want something, we have to pay for it.

Which is what Nick Leggett from Infrastructure New Zealand is saying too.

He says if we say no to tolls, we’re saying no to new highways.

He says: “It’s disappointing to see local mayors lining up to oppose tolling the proposed Woodend Bypass. We all need to face facts. If we want safer, faster, better highways, the users of those roads need to be willing to pay something for them.

“As a nation, we naturally want the best of everything, but that doesn’t come for free.”

Nick Leggett goes on to say: “The fairest and most sustainable approach is for those who use the road to contribute to its upkeep and operation. It is not fair to ask all taxpayers, many of whom will never use the road, to foot the bill.”

And he won’t be getting any argument from me.

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John MacDonald: How do we pay for new roads without tolls?

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald

published 1M ago