A road safety campaigner is backing the Government's reluctance to introduce congestion charging in Wellington, saying it'll only stop the poor from driving - not the rich.
Transport Minister Phil Twyford this week met with Mayor Andy Foster and Greater Wellington Regional Council chair Daran Ponter, NZME reported, reiterating his preference to invest in public transport.
Ponter said the lack of congestion charging was a "literal roadblock", and it would be "a useful tool to manage demand on our roads".
It's presently used in big cities overseas like London, Singapore, Stockholm and Milan, and has support from the Auckland Business Chamber in New Zealand's biggest city as well as thinktank the New Zealand Initiative.
"Variable peak and off-peak rates are already part of our daily lives, from electricity bills and cinema tickets to hotel rates and public transport fare," a report released earlier this month from the latter said. "Why should it be any different with car use?"
But road safety campaigner Clive Matthew-Wilson, editor of car review site Dog and Lemon, says it's not fair.
"Rich people love congestion charges," he said on Friday. "They simply pay a little extra for having the roads cleared of poor people who can't afford to drive.
"Because congestion charges don't bother the wealthy, the wealthy will continue to drive their cars as if they owned the roads."
Meanwhile the poor - who are more likely to work two or more jobs to make ends meet - are "penalised for driving to work, even when they have little alternative".
"Underlying the proposed congestion charges is a class system where richer people get premium access to the same roads that poor people can't afford to use."
Instead he's proposing restricting "the fastest lanes" on commuter routes to traffic carrying three or more people - saying this will encourage people to ride-share.
"If vehicles carrying multiple occupants get to work quicker, then other drivers have a powerful incentive to also share their vehicles... Everyone - rich or poor - has to change their behaviour if they want to travel quickly."
Improving public transport systems takes time, so Matthew-Wilson says this would be a good interim strategy to decongest clogged roads.
"It's often claimed that a decent public transport system already exists, but this is nonsense. Even with terrible congestion, it's typically at least twice as fast to drive than take public transport.
"Bus stops are frequently uncovered in all weathers, or they're used as toilets or homeless shelters."
