ROAD TUNNEL TOLLS

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30215, 21 August 1963, Page 21

ROAD TUNNEL TOLLS

Reduction With More Traffic As traffic increased, reductions in tolls would be made, but until patterns of traffic and usage were established the big saving would be in the time required to get goods to and from Lyttelton, said Mr L. H. Wilson, general manager of the ChristchurchLyttelton Road Tunnel Authority, in a talk to the Christchurch Businessmen’s Club. On overseas standards, the volume of traffic was not likely to be great, Mr Wilson said. It was estimated at 2000 to 2500 vehicles a day. The tunnel had been built to cater for that number every hour. There was an average of at least 18,000 vehicles a day over the Auckland harbour bridge, but it had four lanes and peak traffic periods in the mornings and evenings, he said “It is certain that the more goods that are taken through the tunnel the lower will be the tolls,” Mr Wilson said. The original economic survey was based on a 20-year term with 60 per cent, of inwards goods. It was thought that in the first few years revenue would be sufficient to meet operating costs and some of the interest charges. Then there would • come surpluses for loan redemption.