P.M. drops toll bombshell

Press, 1 September 1980, Page 4

P.M. drops toll bombshell

PA ‘ ' Auckland 1 An increase in Auckland Harbour Bridge tolls from October 1 announced last ievening has stunned some. North Shore civic leaders andj candidates in the East Coasti Bays by-election. ' The announcement, made; by the Prime Minister (Mr; Muldoon) came only five days' before the by-election and led some observers to ques- ■ tion the political timing of : the step. i The National Party’s candidate for East'Coast Bays, Dr D. T. Brash, 1 at first' refused | to accept that the tolls would ■go up. He said he had be- | lieved that two or three other ■ alternatives were being ‘studied and that he would prefer not to comment'until

he knew what decisions had been made on the alternatives.

The Social Credit candidate, Mr G. T. Knapp, said he was staggered by the news.

“It is the opposite from what should be happening: it should be costing us less, not more,” he said. Mrs Wyn Hoadley, the Labour Party’s candidate, was bemused.

“Why raise it 5c if an increase was needed?” she asked. “I don’t see that it is needed but what is the purpose of it?” Mrs Hoadley said that if the Harbour Bridge Authority had not installed new traffic lights an increase would not have been necessary.