Tolls of $6 proposed for Auckland Harbour Bridge, $3 to enter city [Archive]

Postie

17th March 2006, 12:41

do you think this would count for motor bikes aswell??
don't we already pay enough levy's and shit in rego and constantly raising gas prices?

A government report on tackling Auckland's congested roads suggests charging motorists $6 to cross the Harbour Bridge.

The Ministry of Transport report makes a number of suggestions for charging people to drive into the city, including the Harbour Bridge option.

Other proposals are $3 to enter a cordon - essentially the Auckland isthmus - at 15 charging points, or charging motorists $5 a day to enter the central business district.

Another of the five schemes in the report would involve a $10 a day additional charge on parking on both private and public property.

The report was released today by Transport Minister David Parker, Finance Minister Michael Cullen and Transport Secretary Robin Dunlop.

"It's time to recognise that we cannot pave our way out of traffic," said Mr Dunlop. "These schemes represent a balance between the need to reduce congestion and raise revenue while minimising the social, environmental and economic impacts to Aucklanders."

Mr Parker said: "The government has an open mind and has not taken a position on this. Depending on what comes out of the consultation process, the government may decide to look at the options further or decide to take no further action.

"That is why it is important that Auckland has its say because congestion is a major issue for the city, as it is in most large cities."

A six-week consultation period starts today and ends on 28 April. Submissions can be made to the Ministry of Transport, which will be consulting with local government, business groups, non-government organisations and the public.

The ministry will then report back to ministers on the outcome of the consultation.

Q&A

When would it apply?

Monday to Friday, between 6am and 10am.

Who would be exempt?

Public transport and emergency vehicles. Taxis included, but this could be re-examined.

What about commercial vehicles?
Charged at the same rate as private cars as each contributes roughly equally to congestion.

Would residents have to pay?
Yes, except for the parking levy scheme.

Flatcap

17th March 2006, 12:46

Another of the five schemes in the report would involve a $10 a day additional charge on parking on both private and public property.

Does that mean I would have to pay to park in my own carport?

Postie

17th March 2006, 12:48

Does that mean I would have to pay to park in my own carport?

yeah thats what i can't figure out either, it reads that way. Good luck to who ever comes round to my house asking for money for me leaving my car on the driveway.

Flatcap

17th March 2006, 12:53

yeah thats what i can't figure out either, it reads that way. Good luck to who ever comes round to my house asking for money for me leaving my car on the driveway.

The must mean privately owned parking buildings...

Finn

17th March 2006, 12:58

bugjuice

17th March 2006, 13:01

the amount of people that live over the shore and work in the city and vice versa.. it'd cost a fortune.. time to get the flipdown plate on the car..

Patrick

17th March 2006, 13:05

Bikes would have to be exempt...surely...

With rising petrol prices and this, the streets will be buzzing with bikes of all shapes and sizes, just like some Asian metropolis...

Flatcap

17th March 2006, 13:06

This has got nothing to do with traffic what so ever and if you beleive it is then you're a fool. It's just another form of tax that this fucking government will introduce, like the other 126 they have since you kept voting for them.

I will laugh at all the labour supporters as they pay 1/5 of their pay packet getting to work. :niceone:

Mate, I never voted for the Commies in power. Bunch of useless school teachers, academics and drop outs who don't know how to survive in the real world.

However it is the council who is looking at doing this as I understand it - Never voted for Hubbard either

Karma

17th March 2006, 13:08

Not only that, but what about people that just drive through the city?

If you live on the shore, but want to drive down to south auckland for work then will you have to pay?

My mum lives in Kohi and commutes over to Albany every morning, doesn't stop in the CBD at all... will she have to pay?

Can't imagine they'd ever get away with this...

WRT

17th March 2006, 13:17

I'd agree to a small toll on cars with less than 3 occupants if (and only if) the money collected went towards developing and subsidising a decent public transport system.

Apart from that, vehicles on commercial errands, busses, full cars and bikes should be exempt.

marty

17th March 2006, 13:36

why wouldn't they? they have congestion and toll charges in most big cities, parking is expensive -try $25 an hour for casual parking in some central sydney carparks, and central london is up to 10 POUNDS a day just to drive in there, let alone park.

i would say that the charges would arise at the off ramps - not the motorway, but the bridge toll would either be at a cheaper rate both ways, or a higher rate one-way.

ahhh the joys of living in a big city trying to move out of the last century

marty

17th March 2006, 13:37

maybe you could get a discount for risking driving on the clip-ons though :)

bugjuice

17th March 2006, 13:37

another thing to consider tho:

we're getting tolled, and loosing more money to Mr Tax collector. Are our wages going to increase to show the difference?

While it costs to build roads, they put tolls on the new roads. Construction works (on and off duty) have to use these roads. They also use fuels, which are also going up. So their work is more expensive to build a new road. So they put tolls on the roads. Construction workers still use those roads too, which costs them more for building, so the bills go up.. it's an endless circle.

Fuel costs go up, so there's more money for roads. But everyone including construction uses fuel, and it's passed back to the road users. So we have to pay more so we can pay for more roads, which will only cost us more..

Government and construction workers need to stop being greedy. It didn't cost this much 10 years ago, so why so much now? It's cos the new yacht range is out, and everyone wants one..

Postie

17th March 2006, 13:46

bugjuice

17th March 2006, 13:49

go to jail.
get waitered on, meals cooked for you, rent for free, new mates.. just imagine how much you'd save.. just a shame you can't go out and ride the bike around as much..

The Stranger

17th March 2006, 13:52

I'm gonna act crazy, start pissing in my pants at work and eating slugs and shit, get diagnosed as mentally ill.

Um Postie, I hate to have to be the one to tell you this, but ...

ManDownUnder

17th March 2006, 13:52

i have a solution. I'm gonna act crazy, start pissing in my pants at work and eating slugs and shit, get diagnosed as mentally ill and sit on the sickness benefit,

Just help yourself to a couple of dozen Lion Red, and have the Vindaloo from hell...

ManDownUnder

17th March 2006, 13:54

I love the inference that you "could always take public transport".

IN AUCKLAND?????

Also - Let's say I live in Hamilton and want to head north to ... Whangarei.

I have to pay to go THROUGH Auckland?

WRT

17th March 2006, 13:56

go to jail.
get waitered on, meals cooked for you, rent for free, new mates.. just imagine how much you'd save.. just a shame you can't go out and ride the bike around as much..

Never mind not being able to ride your bike, its other people trying to ride you like a bike thats the issue . . . I say, watch out for Bubba . . .

bugjuice

17th March 2006, 13:57

buy one of those Aqua cars and don't use the roads. Yeah, they're about $250,000, but just think how much you'd save on road tolls, dear..
besides, we don't need a boat then..

Actually, I saw one of those on the harbour bridge the other day. Thought it was a waste, cos it goes in water, and there he is getting slower in traffic.. dumbarse

Postie

17th March 2006, 13:59

Never mind not being able to ride your bike, its other people trying to ride you like a bike thats the issue . . . I say, watch out for Bubba . . .
just take this with you

sAsLEX

17th March 2006, 14:01

go to jail.
get waitered on, meals cooked for you, rent for free, new mates.. just imagine how much you'd save.. .

your forgetting the porn as well

WRT

17th March 2006, 14:02

What would you do with that - eat it?? Some soap aint gonna save your sphincter. Unless you mean that it should be used as lube, in which case you'd wind up getting an enima at the same time. Oh yay, clean inside AND out!!

sAsLEX

17th March 2006, 14:04

And parking is already increibly expensive for the facilities you get.

A mate at uni asked how much my bike was, ended up being less than what he has paid in parking during uni, not including the fact I park 30 m from a lecture and dont get slowed up by traffic, silly cagers

bugjuice

17th March 2006, 14:10

at work, I pay a little over a dollar a day to park under the building. Cars pay about $15 a day..

WRT

17th March 2006, 14:13

Just some rough calculations . . . at 5 days x 52 weeks, minus around 15 holidays and 11 stats, then at $8 per day for parking (which is what they charge across the road from my work - open air parking with no security) your looking at $1,872 per year. Meaning you could purchase something like this (http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=50718475&key=130911)and have enough coin left over for basic gear. Then factor in the fuel savings, plus as SAS said, time spent in traffic coupled with the freedom of parking. And at the end of the year you have a $1,000 bike that you could flog off, add the next years $1872 savings to it and just keep grading up each year. You'd be on a brand spankers gixxer in no time!

Ixion

17th March 2006, 14:18

Does that mean I would have to pay to park in my own carport?

Yep. The full report highlights this as an implementation issue. Need for parking wardens to have statutory access to private dwellings.

BTW, you'd pay the parking charge even if you weren't using the vehicle .Sucks to live in an inner city apartment eh ?

Ixion

17th March 2006, 14:22

Might be an interesting litmus test to see if BRONZ have any balls left >?

By rights if push bikes are exempt, bikes should be - after all it's a CONGESTION charge (not actually a tax in disguise, oh no perish such a thought). And we don't contribute to congestion. They say

What about commercial vehicles?
Charged at the same rate as private cars as each contributes roughly equally to congestion.

Well, we don't contribute equally. So we should be exempt. But we're not , in the draft. ALL motor vehicles to pay.

Lou Girardin

17th March 2006, 14:44

A Labour Govt that's scratching to get a fourth term is not going to introduce charges that hit it's voters hardest of all.
Not to mention the Shore seceding from NZ if they toll the bridge again.

Flatcap

17th March 2006, 14:46

Yep. The full report highlights this as an implementation issue. Need for parking wardens to have statutory access to private dwellings.

BTW, you'd pay the parking charge even if you weren't using the vehicle .Sucks to live in an inner city apartment eh ?

I would like to see the warden get over my 6 - foot high fence and past the dog, not to mention the bat weilding occupant. The Meter reader can't even get into my little Fort Knox

BTW, I'm not in an apartment, I'm in a bungalow that just happens to be centrally located.

This is another example of poorly thought out policy.

DirtMad

17th March 2006, 15:05

i have a solution. I'm gonna act crazy, start pissing in my pants at work and eating slugs and shit, get diagnosed as mentally ill and sit on the sickness benefit, that way i don't have to work so i won't pay taxes which means i don’t have to come into the city to work so i don't need to pay more taxes. Sweet.

This working for a living is a fucking joke.

Sadly - that sounds about right! If the govt. stopped giving so many needless fuckin` hand outs we wouldnt need tax on tax... :finger:

Karma

17th March 2006, 15:18

This working for a living is a fucking joke.

Amen brother!

DirtMad

17th March 2006, 15:27

its gonna be on tv1 news @ 6 ... :psst:

bugjuice

17th March 2006, 15:50

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=26406
ketchup ;)

yungatart

17th March 2006, 15:52

Its just another good reason to stay away from the place...

Finn

17th March 2006, 15:52

We need to send Crazy Steve down to Wellington with his screwdriver. He'll do it too if we all agree to give him a rep point each.

XTC

17th March 2006, 16:09

I can see buisinesses moving out of the city centre.... Apartment buildings dropping in value... and becoming slums to all sorts of nasties which will in turn achieve the goal of keeping "people" out of the city centre. Objective achieved!

thealmightytaco

17th March 2006, 16:14

They'd better put in another motorway to get around the bloody place then, I aint payin' to go through somewhere I dont want to be, on my way to Ruawai.

Tunnel?

inlinefour

17th March 2006, 16:18

We are going to aucks next month. might be the last time I ever go there if this goes ahead. This is just plain greed and stupidity, combined.:stupid:

Swoop

17th March 2006, 16:21

Sutage

17th March 2006, 16:25

bikes should be free and poll should only apply to cars with 1 or 2 maybe people in it
as people with 4 are already helping congestion!
either carpool or get a bike
hard decision

Marmoot

17th March 2006, 16:30

The whole report is sickening and disgusting...

Time for revolution? I'm in.

If Mohammed's cartoon and Bloody Mary have created a riot, this so-called Congestion Charges is a downright insult to Kiwibikerism religion.
I'd say we start a protest.

ManDownUnder

17th March 2006, 16:32

ManDownUnder

17th March 2006, 16:33

Just like London. 5 pounds to enter the CBD.

Traffic decreased immediately........ THEN started to build up again as people said "fuck it" and so NOW they are looking at a 25pound tax!!! nz$75 EACH time you enter "the zone".:doh:

But worse than that in this case - in 2 of the 3 proposals, you can't AVOID the zone. Heading north or south - you're buggered...

Tell me how that (tollgates) meet Transits mandate to get traffic flowing?

Marmoot

17th March 2006, 16:37

Good move.

Let's just use the bus lanes... all of 'em. Nationwide, highways and biways...

I got photographed by one council worker today (he specifically turned around and photo-ed me from behind while standing on the bus lane) using Bus Lane on Grt. North Rd on my Busa......Dunno what for. I thought I should be ok with bike on bus lane?

Besides, it's a Bus.....a..........

I'll let you guys know if I get a ticket anyway. That would be interesting.

Marmoot

17th March 2006, 16:47

By the way, I just sent this one to Herald editorial:

Reading the news about the plan to introduce so-called congestion charges and parking charges around the isthmus is sickening. But looking at my face upon realizing that my annual expense will increase by close to $4000 ($3 per day for being in the cordon and $10 per day for simply parking my vehicle at home) just because I happen to live in Mt. Albert area is simply priceless.
And that $4000 is only from NOT moving my vehicles at all.
Not to mention that the vehicle involved is a 2-wheeled small motorcycle.

This puts a new definition for 'covert taxation' in my dictionary.

Calo

17th March 2006, 17:45

I got photographed by one council worker today (he specifically turned around and photo-ed me from behind while standing on the bus lane) using Bus Lane on Grt. North Rd on my Busa......Dunno what for. I thought I should be ok with bike on bus lane?

Besides, it's a Bus.....a..........

I'll let you guys know if I get a ticket anyway. That would be interesting.

Sounds like he hasn't had adequate training. I've had council workers step away from their camera when they've seen me riding along in the bus lane. :shake:

Flatcap

17th March 2006, 18:12

I got photographed by one council worker today (he specifically turned around and photo-ed me from behind while standing on the bus lane) using Bus Lane on Grt. North Rd on my Busa......Dunno what for. I thought I should be ok with bike on bus lane?

Besides, it's a Bus.....a..........

I'll let you guys know if I get a ticket anyway. That would be interesting.

Those camera jockeys are always taking photos in the bus lanes down Dominion Road - I have passed dozens of times. They know the drill about motorbikes in the bus lane. You will have no worries about getting a ticket

SPman

17th March 2006, 19:00

Bikes would have to be exempt...surely...

Knowing the LTA s attitude toward bikes - probably not......if bikes have even entered their "conciousness"

Swoop

17th March 2006, 19:31

But worse than that in this case - in 2 of the 3 proposals, you can't AVOID the zone. Heading north or south - you're buggered...

Tell me how that (tollgates) meet Transits mandate to get traffic flowing?
Good point. It will also ADD to the congestion on the north western when the north shore mob want to drive that way to "avoid" the bridge...:2guns:

Karma

17th March 2006, 20:02

Knowing the LTA s attitude toward bikes - probably not......if bikes have even entered their "conciousness"

Well according to the census none of us ride bikes as our main transport, so theoretically we don't exist... and you can't charge someone who doesn't exist... can you?

Marmoot

17th March 2006, 20:21

Well according to the census none of us ride bikes as our main transport, so theoretically we don't exist... and you can't charge someone who doesn't exist... can you?

*ahem*....more like "there is no point making an exemption for someone who doesn't exist"

TonyB

17th March 2006, 21:02

Every vehicle user in NZ is already paying an increased petrol tax to sort out Aucklands roading problems (despite the fact that no one can actually agree on a plan!!!). Christchurch urgently needs significant changes to it's roading network to avoid gridlock. The plan is in place. But because ALL of the money is going to Auckland, NO major infrastructure work can be undertaken untill 2012 and 2015. No doubt Wellington is in the same boat.:wait:

Ixion

17th March 2006, 21:17

Motorcycles would not be exempt or discounted.

From http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3607418a10,00.html

Pixie

17th March 2006, 21:30

The first thing that needs to be done to address auckland's traffic problems,is to find the unspeakable ARSE of a planner,who decided to reduce roads like Dominion and Mt Albert roads to 2 lanes with painted medians,roads that in Sydney would have 5 lanes on them,and take him out the back of the building and beat him to death slowly.
Not maliciously,mind you,just as a warning to any other infiltrating greenie fuckers who may be lurking about.

What we need is a good ol' french style riot
But ,alas, all we will get is the population bending over and saying "yes please,sir"

Karma

17th March 2006, 21:42

well I don't go through the CBD at that time so don't bother me... but still think it's a retarded idea.

myvice

17th March 2006, 21:58

Well if they can’t catch us lane splitting then how are they going to enforce this?
Might de-register the Bandit and put a dummy plate on if they bring it in, if I'm gunna get hit $150 for splitting, another $150? for not having a motorway pass I might as well go the whole way and save my rego costs for the big ticket when I do get hit!
Or do we only pay 1/5 of the charge as we only use about that anyway?
What about my work place? It’s a fucking workshop! We have 20+ cars in some days, do we get charged for all of them?
Will the parking wardens be able to have the power to search privet propriety?
Where can we bury all of the parking warden’s body’s?
It is going to have to be an electronic tag type transmitter unit that sits on your windscreen that gets charged, like a pre-pay thing.
Do we have to buy one of these and have it fitted at our expense?
I'm on a naked bike! Do I ram the thing up my ass or does it have to be visible?
If they are going to do this then fine, if you want me to grab my ankles so the leaches can ream more money out of me then you will have a nasty shit fight on your hands!
I'm not on a bike caus I'm a bunny-hugging hippie, but we are helping the problem more than most and what do we get for our trouble?
Bus lanes that we may or may not be able to use, rego costs that hurt more than the odd bin, slippery black crack fill all over the place and the attitude that any one on two wheels is a donor with a death wish!
The powers that be need a good hard bitch slapping and we as a group need to grow some balls and tell them to fuck off!
I'm all bitter and twisted now so I'm going to bed to sulk.:angry2:

Skyryder

17th March 2006, 23:21

Skyryder

17th March 2006, 23:29

So any one here thinks the Nats will repeal all this when they get into power. Think again. Look what happened after Rodgernomics. Did it get better. Like hell it did. Labour has lost the plot. The Nats never know what it was. It's why traditionally tthe Nats fuck up and Labour need to fix. Now Labour fucks up and the Nats fuck it further.

Skyryder

But in reality, there are going to be a number of measures that governments (and that's plural for those who have missed the apostrophe) are going to introduce for energy savings. The world is still changing folks.

Skyryder

17th March 2006, 23:42

i have a solution. I'm gonna act crazy, start pissing in my pants at work and eating slugs and shit, get diagnosed as mentally ill and sit on the sickness benefit, that way i don't have to work so i won't pay taxes which means i don’t have to come into the city to work so i don't need to pay more taxes. Sweet.

Postie, I LIKE your thinking.

Let's not forget to have kids. Lots and lots of kids who have nothing much on their minds except breading also. The more kids we have, the more "Not Working For Families" shit we can get from Helen. Why give, when you can receive!

Karma

17th March 2006, 23:44

You guys think you've got it bad? Try moving to the uk... somewhere in the midlands preferably... hmm... Nottingham should do I think.

Then you'll be begging to come back here.

17th March 2006, 23:54

True enough I am sure.

Like Skyryder says, things are changing. We can't keep on adding cars and trucks to bulging roads for ever and ever. My guess is that in 20 years, you will need a damn good job just to run a vehicle full stop.

Karma

18th March 2006, 00:18

My idea was that they ran a train along SH1, coming up from south auckland... into the britomart or something, then right up, over the harbour, past takapuna, past glenfield, past albany, and stop somewhere around orewa.

All you'd need is some big car parks up there, cheap enough fares on the train with regular services, BAM, problem solved.

The government subsidises Stagecoach by millions... but the buses are taking up space on the road as well...

Tell stagecoach to get fucked, put the money into a train system and you'll halve the number of cars on the road.

You can't tell me that all those people commute into auckland over the bridge every day because they enjoy it!

Marmoot

18th March 2006, 06:00

That's a very simplistic thought, Weasel.

Stagecoach is workable if the system is workable. But now they are barely there.
I was thinking of busing, but I don't enjoy 15 minutes walk to the bus stop followed by BETWEEN FIVE TO FORTYFIVE MINUTES wait. Yes, it is that uncertain. Timetable my arse..........

In Singapore, the maximum wait time for a bus would be 7 minutes, and that is off-peak hours. Bus comes up whether it is full or empty.
The drivers are being paid by the milleage they travel, not by hourly rate.
Bus stops are always within 5 minutes walk from wherever you are.
And the MRT/Subway comes every 5 minutes at most.

Same as in HongKong.

In Jakarta, even though the buses look suicidal, they come within 3 minutes of each other.

Auckland transport system is not a full-blown city transport system. It is worse than 3rd world countries.

If government wants to charge us for using cars/bikes (yes, Bikes. Don't we read the news?) then they should bloody well sort out the public transport first! Otherwise, it's just a bloody taxation. :mellow:

sAsLEX

18th March 2006, 06:21

From http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3607418a10,00.html

Quote:
Motorcycles would not be exempt or discounted.

hmmm shows they have done their research and followed good examples like the London congestion charges,oh thats right bikes dont get charged over there, now what is their reasoning to charge us here? Do we cause more congestion in this country than England? Stupid tax loving lefty bitches

kro

18th March 2006, 07:28

The absolute insanity of the CBD concept is the fault of the corporations who decided the elite business area was a trendy idea, and made their business look powerful.

Instead of pinging the motorists, cut the CBD up, and relocate it. Turn Half of downtown into parks and gardens, and spread the traffic flows around.

If you want to blame people, blame the so called "clever" people who built their towers, and hi-rises in the CBD. This mass centralisation of financial style companies is what created the monster you see today. People should be able to drive/ ride without being tolled.

Waylander

18th March 2006, 08:35

Toll tags, the little infared transmitter/reciever thing someone mentioned earlier, work when inside your jacket pocket so no reason to have it on the bike. The cool thing about them is you only need one regardless of how many vehicles you have and the toll is usually cheaper aswell. Add on that in toll tag lanes you don't need to stop or even slow down. That is ofcourse what they do in the states so the chances of it happening here are damn near non-exhistant.

The train thing would work cause Sweeden uses that system. Live in the outskirts and egde towns and take the bus to the trainstation then train into town. Bussess also arrive at the stops within 5 mins of the scheduled times wich are thirty minutes appart.

Things like that will work for Auckland and other sities here but the government here is too fond of keeping all the money in thier own pockets. Hell even with the greedy politicians in the states they still don't keep it all.

Flatcap

18th March 2006, 13:30

Quote:
Motorcycles would not be exempt or discounted.

hmmm shows they have done their research and followed good examples like the London congestion charges,oh thats right bikes dont get charged over there, now what is their reasoning to charge us here? Do we cause more congestion in this country than England? Stupid tax loving lefty bitches

Fucking cummunist hippy FUCKERS. This Labour government have no idea about the real world. I for one am sick of paying tax upon tax for no other reason than to pay tax. Surely the goal should be to get more poeple out of CARS into ALL other forms of transport. Fucking morons.

SuperDave

18th March 2006, 13:57

Those maps showing the proposed 'taxing schemes' on the Herald website crack me up - from the looks of these badly detailed blobs of red, white, blue and green they are gonna set up charging points in the harbour. To what stop people crossing from the north shore on a car kept afloat on barrels?

froggyfrenchman

18th March 2006, 14:05

Aucklanders have no reason to complain! Wot about the rest of us that pay a tax directed at paying for auckland roads everytime we fill up?

Flatcap

18th March 2006, 14:10

Aucklanders have no reason to complain! Wot about the rest of us that pay a tax directed at paying for auckland roads everytime we fill up?

Mate - if Auckland got it's fair share of the petrol tax right from the start, we wouldn't have a roading problem and you would be driving on gravel.

oldrider

18th March 2006, 15:29

Why not just give significant tax breaks for companies to decentralise throughout New Zealand again, instead of centralising everything in Auckland.

I remember that they (The companies) only did that because of the significant economic gains they made.

The drift North to Auckland for employment that followed, created the Southern drain of the fifties and sixties.

In order to reverse the buildup caused by centralisation in Auckland, leave taxes as they are in Auckland and reduce them progressively North or South of Central Auckland.

The further North/South, the greater the tax incentive! (Real incentives, not Cullen bullshit)

It would piss me off having to share our lovely empty countryside and roads with all the Jaffa's but some things have to be sacrificed for the greater good I spose.

Welcome to the South people, seriously, welcome! See you in Invercargill!

Did you know that Bluff is the closest NZ port to Australia, our closest offshore market!

Closer by air closer by sea, fuel savings etc? :scratch: Cheers John.

Skyryder

18th March 2006, 19:31

You make some valid points Old rider. But the problem is that the govenment has gone into this 'market dictates' mode. New Zealand is now owned by overseas interests and climate and population figures drive some the economic decisions............ If production costs gets too expensive due to wages fuel costs etc Corperations just threaten to go off shore. From what I hear Shadbolt has done some good things for Invercargil. Don't know if true or not. But anyone who has poured their own concrete knows what hard graft is like.

Skyryder

Krusti

18th March 2006, 19:35

Quote:
Motorcycles would not be exempt or discounted.

hmmm shows they have done their research and followed good examples like the London congestion charges,oh thats right bikes dont get charged over there, now what is their reasoning to charge us here? Do we cause more congestion in this country than England? Stupid tax loving lefty bitches

Even more congestion, have ya seen how long it takes me to get change out when on my bike!

Brett

18th March 2006, 19:49

I really do not think that this will solve our problems. It will just cause industry and business to change zones, and move tyhe problems to other area's of auckland.

myvice

18th March 2006, 20:11

(After a nights rest...)
I have often wonder why so many people work in town, most go from home to work only to sit in front of a computer screen and phone which I'm sure with today’s technology could be easily accomplished at home.
The employers don’t have to provide office space, car parking or other animates. And the employee doesn’t have to spend two hours a day going back and forth wasting gas and time.
Work still pays for the computer (which remains their property) and pays phone and broadband.
Never late for work, work can still monitor output, more free time, less sick days, better home security and good for parents.
There would be some down sides, the IT guys would have to be mobile for a start...
But with less traffic on the roads so what?
What would I know tho... And ya can’t E-mail me your car so I would still have to go in.