Improvement On Tunnel Budget

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31663, 26 April 1968, Page 1

Improvement On Tunnel Budget

Although the tunnel toll rate was reduced, the Christchurch - Lyttelton Road Tunnel Authority’s revenue for the year ending March 31 was within 0.3 per cent of the previous year’s revenue, the general manager (Mr L. H. Wilson) told the authority on Wednesday.

Vehicle tolls, at $299,738, were $1916 less than for the previous year, but goods tolls, at $65,387, were $723 more. The drop of $1193 was $33,125 less than the authority had budgeted for. Mr R. A. Witbrock, the authority’s chairman, said the figures indicated the general trend of transferring the carriage of goods to and from the port from rail to road transport. Mr J. J. B. Connor said this trend was of benefit to the railways because it

meant that more trucks were freed for use by the department. Before the tunnel was opened up to 1200 trucks awaited unloading in the Waltham yards. Today the maximum was 300.

Mr Wilson’s report said that it looked as if the author'ty would finish the year with a surplus of about $lO,OOO instead of a deficit of $23,000 allowed for in the budget This would be after meeting operating costs, interest and loan repayment and took into account the National Roads Board grant of $200,000 a year.

Mr Witbrock said that until the surplus a vehicle was greater, the authority could not reduce tolls any more. The last year’s surplus amounted to 0.96 c a vehicle.