Increase In Revenue From Tunnel Road

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31770, 29 August 1968, Page 1

Increase In Revenue From Tunnel Road

Tunnel Road traffic figures for August, with four days to go, indicated a likely increase on the August, 1967 figure, the chairman (Mr R. A. Witbrock) told a meeting of the Christchurch-Lyttelton Road Tunnel Authority yesterday.

“There should be an increase of $1250 in tolls and of $l5OO in goods tolls, making an increase of $2750 when compared with last year,” he said. “It is a most satisfactory position. “The over-all increase to the end of July was $BOBO, so by the end of August this should increase to $10,750. “If we can maintain this rate of increase for the rest of the year, we should finish the year in a satisfactory position.”

Mr Witbrock said the increases came from commercial traffic. Motor-car traffic

was still showing a tendency to drop. Revenue from April 1 to the end of July was $121,386, compared with $113,306 for the same period last year. The general manager (Mr L. H. Wilson) said that July goods tonnage, 52,981, was a record, the previous highest being 46 956 tons in January. Mr Witbrock said that though port tonnage at Lyttelton was lower this year, more use was being made of the tunnel. In July, commercial traffic and goods tolls produced 52 per cent of toll revenue, compared with 45.6 per cent in July, 1967.