1
00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,800
Speaker 1: Congestion charging maybe coming to a motorway near you. The

2
00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:05,560
Speaker 1: government bill that allows for congestion charges has passed its

3
00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:08,400
Speaker 1: third reading in Parliament and councils can now propose schemes

4
00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:10,880
Speaker 1: to charge drivers for driving on certain busy roads at

5
00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:14,040
Speaker 1: certain times, subject to approval by the Transport Minister. Morris

6
00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,160
Speaker 1: Williamson is an Auckland councilor and with us now, hey,

7
00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:19,160
Speaker 1: Morris Hi, Heather Auckland is going to be the first

8
00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:20,279
Speaker 1: one to do it. How soon?

9
00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:23,480
Speaker 2: Well, the first thing you need to know is when

10
00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:25,920
Speaker 2: you read the legislation, it says it comes into effect

11
00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:29,840
Speaker 2: on the anniversary of the Royal assent. So it can't

12
00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:31,880
Speaker 2: be for we haven't had the royal assent yet because

13
00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:34,480
Speaker 2: on manly passed last night. When the Governor General signs

14
00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:36,880
Speaker 2: it probably, let's assume later this week or next week.

15
00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:40,159
Speaker 2: The bill can't come into effect for another year after that,

16
00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:44,640
Speaker 2: which is just after the election surprise, surprise, next year.

17
00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,320
Speaker 1: But then you probably need the time, don't you, to

18
00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:49,199
Speaker 1: actually set up more infrastructure and so on.

19
00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:51,880
Speaker 2: Well, no, from that point on you've got to begin

20
00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:56,560
Speaker 2: a long process of public consultation, setting up a board.

21
00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:00,880
Speaker 2: I'll make the wild prediction now you will not see

22
00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:04,840
Speaker 2: an operational congestion charging regime for a minimum of at

23
00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:06,960
Speaker 2: least three years from now, and I think more like

24
00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:08,360
Speaker 2: four years from now.

25
00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:11,400
Speaker 1: Oh well, that's a bummer. I mean, surely, surely this

26
00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:14,440
Speaker 1: I would think that we need this sooner rather than later.

27
00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:15,160
Speaker 1: What do you think.

28
00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:18,360
Speaker 2: While there's a lot of opposition, A lot of counselors

29
00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:20,880
Speaker 2: at organd council don't agree with it and don't want it,

30
00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:23,960
Speaker 2: I'm a big fan because I've seen elsewhere in the

31
00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:26,840
Speaker 2: world the impact it's had. In Manhattan and New York.

32
00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:28,800
Speaker 2: They've only had it running for the course of a

33
00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:33,760
Speaker 2: year or so, it's dramatically reduced congestion, dramatically improved travel times,

34
00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:36,880
Speaker 2: and it means that people did start to begin to

35
00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:39,880
Speaker 2: choose other options, traveling at a different time of day,

36
00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:43,200
Speaker 2: or using public transport, or in some cases not even

37
00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:46,760
Speaker 2: needing to make the trip. But look, time is money,

38
00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:49,400
Speaker 2: and if you're a tradee charging yourself out at eighty

39
00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:51,960
Speaker 2: dollars an hour and you're stuck for an hour in congestion,

40
00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:54,920
Speaker 2: would you be happy to pay, say five bucks and

41
00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:58,280
Speaker 2: get through there in twenty minutes time rather than an hour.

42
00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,160
Speaker 1: Yep, absolutely Morris, thank you as right. You just speak

43
00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:05,000
Speaker 1: with such common sense. Morris Williamson, Auckland Councilor. For more

44
00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:08,360
Speaker 1: from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to news talks

45
00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:11,600
Speaker 1: it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast

46
00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:12,680
Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio