Board seeks abolition of tunnel tolls

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34022, 11 December 1975, Page 18

Board seeks abolition of tunnel tolls

The Lyttelton Harbour Board will renew its efforts to have tolls removed from the Lyttelton road tunnel.

Earlier approaches to the Minister of Finance (Mr Tizard) failed to secure an undertaking that tolls would be abolished. but the change in government has prompted the board to make another approach. Mr Tizard said in a letter received by the board yesterday that the abolition of ! toll charges for both the road i tunnel and the Auckland harbour bridge was not included in the Labour Party’s policy statement in 1972, though it

had been included in policy previously. He could n t agree with ! the board’s assertion that the I tolls had an inhibiting effect 'on trade at the port, Mr [Tizard said. The revenue from road-tunnel traffic for [ 1974-75 represented an average of slightly more than 15c a ton. “This does not seem to be i a very great inhibiting factor.” he said. j The complete phasing out jof toll charges, said Mr Tizard, would reduce adminlistration and operating costs I only 40 per cent. 1 “The remaining costs and annual loan charges would require a considerable cash injection, which could only come from central or local government taxation receipts.” However, Mr Tizard suggested that since local authorities contributed directly to the construction and maintenance of roads and bridges within their territories, consideration might be given to | financing the tunnel from this ; source.