Get real on roads

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The Land Transport Management Bill won’t deliver the goods, says Business NZ.

Speaking to the Bill at a select committee hearing today, Business NZ Chief Executive said investment on roads had to be increased, for safety and for economic growth.

“Our roads are already under-funded and the Bill as currently worded would make this worse – it would result in money that should be spent on roads going on other transport modes instead. 

“But road transport is the only mode that can service customers door-to-door, and because of this simple fact virtually all freight transported by other modes also uses road transport.  Starving roads of money harms all the other forms of transport and puts lives at risk.”

Mr Carlaw said business and road user groups wanted amendments to

• reinstate economic efficiency and safety as the key purposes

• streamline consultation instead of making it more cumbersome

• reinstate competitive tendering

• reinstate safeguards against political intervention and pork barrel politics

• enable realistic arrangements for much-needed private investment to boost spending on roads.