More transport money

Press, 13 December 1982, Page 14

More transport money

The Canterbury region would receive $5.1 million from the Government's Urban Transport Council next financial year, compared with $3.6 million this year, the chairman of the United Council’s urban transport committee, Cr M. E. Foster, has said. Funds would be used to improve other aspects of the region's transport system as well as assisting the Christchurch Transport Board and other public passenger

groups. Money would be available to match the spending of local bodies on facilities for cyclists and pedestrians, and on improved traffic management, especially where that work was linked to the smooth movement of buses. Cr Foster said the new method of allocating Government financial assistance was “a step in the right direction towards achieving a more equitable system." Canterbury had been

disadvantaged in the past compared with some other regions, especially Wellington. "Future allocations will eventually remove past funding biases and put all regions on a similar basis of shared ratepayer and Government support," said Cr Foster. In the 1981-82 financial year, Canterbury received less than $1 million in Government assistance for urban transport.