Transport subsidy autonomy sought

Press, 21 June 1984, Page 7

Transport subsidy autonomy sought

The Canterbury United Council wants the power to allocate transport subsidies as it sees fit, and not be bound by Urban Transport Council guidelines. A proposed set of guidelines for approving subsidies has been circulated for regional comment by the Urban Transport Council.

One guideline suggests that urban transport services should not receive more than a 50 per cent taxpayer-sourced subsidy, but the Canterbury United Council’s urban transport committee agreed yesterday that this was contrary to the principle of regional autonomy. The committee accepted that it should receive an over-all 50 per cent block grant for its implementation programme, but wanted to allocate different amounts to different projects as it

saw fit Cr R. W. J. Harrington said the committee had to have the right to say where and how it would spend its money without being “hamstrung" by guidelines. Guidelines had a habit of becoming mandatory, he said.

The committee will ask the Urban Transport Council to amend the proposed guidelines to allow for regional autonomy on how grants were allocated, and that a cost-benefit study be done on alternative modes of transport, particularly cycling facilities. Studies being done by the council tended to be bus-rail orientated.

Mr P. V. Neary said regional feedback was important, especially if there were a change of government. He was concerned that a Labour government would restore rail subsidies, and

Canterbury’s transport facilities would suffer as a result of this. Airport link The United Council will co-operate with any investigations into the feasibility of an airport public transport service. The Christchurch Transport Board is considering the possibility of setting up a direct airport service. A taxi service similar to that run in Melbourne would not be difficult to establish said the president of the Taxi Drivers’ Association. Mr K. J. Murphy.

minimum of three passengers Melbourne taxidrivers charge $4 a head from the airport into the city. Mr Murphy said ther were no specific plans to set up such a service, but the Transport Board’s proposal would make inroads into the taxi business.