Road tax, costs ‘will wipe out income’

Press, 24 April 1980, Page 6

Road tax, costs ‘will wipe out income’

The Christchurch Transport Board has made submissions to the Minister of Finance (Mr Muldoon) about the ‘high costs Inherent in public transport. The board wa , told yesterday that tie renewed Government running cost subsidy wouk’.i. result in the board’s incon e< increasing by 15 per cen . At the same time, road-r ier charges were to be inc ased by 20 per cent and. lesel prices were expected > rise by from. 50 to 120 ■ cent.

To i r the cost of the higher jad-user charges,, the bo i estimated it would have a find another $87,600 on 1 > f the .$438,000 paid la«. -”"r. The recent fuel decisions meant that 1? ~ .ear’s fuel bill could in’<e by up to $669,000. ' i hey (the Government)

- ke a great play of giving : . an increased/. subsidy .• nounting to’ $41,000, but nore the facththat in extra ax they are ■ charging us another $87,000,” said Mr M. O. Holdsworth. “I find it hard to believe they are genuinely supporting public transport.” The board’s chairman (Mr D. J. Kelleher) said that letters had been sent to the Minister of Energy (Mr Birch) and the Minister of Transport (Mr McLachlan), as well as to Mr Muldoon.

The public transport system used only 2 per cent of the country’s total diesel. It seems logical that if that

amount was subsidised by the Government, it would not be inequitable, Mr Kelleher said. The matter would also be taken up by the Local Authorities Passenger Transport Association, which had resolved at its recent biennial conference to pursue the matter “urgently,” he said.

Mr Holdsworth said that the situation was indicative of the Government’s attitude to New Zealand transport. “My concern is that the Urban Transport Bill now before the Government will give it almost a direct control over our rating.” The bill meant that any plan of a local transport authority had to be approved by the Government. “With this, they are trying to unload the cost of the Wellington suburban railway system. This could well fall indirectly on to our own ratepayers here,” he said; "

On the question ,of. the Urban Transport Bill, the deputy chairman (Mr P. G. Sharpe) said that the Christchurch City Council could be more vocal than it had been. “The Auckland City Council has set aside $lO,OOO to help oppose the bill,” he said.

Submissions will be made to the Parliamentary Local Bills Committee today by Mr Kelleher, Mr Holdsworth, and the board’s general manager (Mr M. G. Taylor). Buses in Square The board should consider

carefully moving its activities out of Cathedral Square, Mr T. N. D. Anderson said.

A recent City Council meeting had expressed concern about access of vehicles. “The continued presence of buses i«s one of the constraints preventing safe movement for pedestrians,” he said. The problems involved in time-tables, schedules and rosters could be eased if a whole new look was taken of the dispatching , of the buses.

“We should be taking more interest in fs"* safety of passengers ir e area,” he said.

Mr ’ Hed that the board’s p should

rather be to malw access as easy as possible into the city centre. Otherwise, business would continue to go to the suburbs and the whole city would lose.. < ■ ’ Mr Anderson said that the city centre was dying not because of lack of access but because of over-access for cars to the exclusion of pedestrians and bus users.

“It is absurd to try to remove all traffic from the centre. One in five cars there are from the business sector; the city won’t function without the motor car,” said Mrs Helen Garrett. • “We have to maintain the viability of the city,” Mr Kelleher said.