24th June 2008
IPENZ - Road Pricing best way to overcome Transport Issues
A report highlighting New Zealand’s major transport issues and recommendations on the way forward has been launched today by the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ).
The report Transport – Engineering the Way Forward believes the most effective way to address the issues facing people and freight transport in New Zealand is a move towards a comprehensive pricing regime across all modes of transport, so that users pay the full cost of travel.
“Evidence shows that strategies around encouraging the public to use alternative modes, such as public transport, cycling and walking, still account for only a small proportion of travel. Also the long lag times to change behaviours and changes to land use lead us to the view that these ideas will not resolve the transport issues facing New Zealand in the foreseeable future. A framework for price-based transport policies needs to be developed. First steps should include tolling, cordons, local road pricing and in the future move to national electronic road pricing,” says Tim Davin, Acting Chief Executive, IPENZ.
“At the moment we all pay a flat rate fuel excise tax. If we moved to national road pricing it would involve each vehicle having an onboard “black box” that would work out exactly where when and over what distance the vehicle was being used - through GPS. The data would be transmitted to a central point, that would bill users. Charges would be higher for highly congested routes, lower for rural users and would vary with location and time, and for freight vehicles for weight and distance. That way we only pay for what we actually use,” says Mr Davin.
“Areas that will help overcome our transport challenges making great use of debt funding and amending the current Land Transport Management Act to remove the Act’s legislative impediments to public-private partnerships (PPP’s). Technology is another way forward. Technology enables us to upgrade our vehicle fleet with hybrids, electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cells which will contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle efficiency. Technology can also play a big part in safety through braking systems, collision avoidance and the vehicle structure. We need to analyse where the best value for the road safety dollar should be spent,” says Mr Davin.
Transport – Engineering a Way Forward – outlines the challenges facing New Zealand:
- NZ remains reliant on cars and imported fossil fuels
- the increasing cost of fuel and its effects on household budgets
- congestion in our major cities, is costing over $1 billion per annum
- transport greenhouse gas emissions are increasing
- road safety progress has plateaued in recent years.
The fuller report Transport – Engineering the Way Forward is available at www.ipenz.org.nz/IPENZ/Media_Comm/Additional_publications.cfm
For more information contact:
Andrew Cleland
Chief Executive, IPENZ, Engineers New Zealand.
Mobile: 021 311 879
DDI: 04 474 8935
Prepared by Julie Buchanan, Communications Manager, IPENZ, Engineers NZ, DDI: 04 473 2028
