Auckland Council is giving the go-ahead for a congestion charging scheme to be designed.<\/p>\n
The ‘time of use’ charging could reduce Auckland’s traffic by 8 to 12 percent, the council said, referring to a\u00a0Ministry of Transport report<\/a>\u00a0from 2020.<\/p>\n The charge would speed up traffic without waiting for expensive and unaffordable motorways to be built, Auckland mayor Wayne Brown said.<\/p>\n “This will make roads less congested for Aucklanders,” he said.<\/p>\n “It’s about making the most of what we have and bringing Auckland in line with similar cities. It’s a tried and tested solution, and one that’s relatively low-cost.”<\/p>\n The scheme could apply at different times or in different locations.<\/p>\n The council was counting on it to help increase public transport use and reduce carbon emissions.<\/p>\n A host of stakeholders will provide input for the design which will then be thrown to the public for consultation.<\/p>\n If successful, the scheme will be launched alongside the City Rail Link in 2026.<\/p>\n But \u014ctara-Papatoetoe Local Board chair Apulu Reece Autagavaia said in May that the proposal did not consider the\u00a0needs of South Auckland households<\/a>. Private vehicles were a need for a lot of the community, who did not have a reliable alternative, he said.<\/p>\n