The much praised John Key announcement last week that the government has finally agreed to fund Auckland’s inner city rail link is not the cause for celebration it should be.
The full announcement on Friday confirmed it was business as usual and the tarseal addicts – aka the roading lobby – had got the lion’s share of the funding feast. Those pushing for public transport will have to wait till 2020 for funding for the inner-city rail link and remember that’s after at least three local body elections and two general elections leaving plenty of opportunity for the bitumen brigade to knobble the link and thieve this funding as well.
Most importantly the government’s transport package does nothing to reduce traffic congestion. Even if the rail link is built in 12 years – the earliest the government will commit to – we are stuck with rising traffic volumes and life in our “most liveable” city grinding on ever more slowly.
The cost to Aucklanders and business is huge.
Every member of every family has a story of traffic nightmare not to mention the environment which suffers as cars and trucks burn up petrol and diesel pointlessly in bumper to bumper traffic.
According to a government commissioned report earlier this year traffic congestion costs the city $1.25 billion every year in lost productivity.
So why are the fossil-fuel junkies so opposed to public transport?
The truth is that the corporate sector are ideologically opposed to anything owned or organised by the community. They would rather all Aucklanders suffer in gridlock – themselves included – rather than see funding go to public transport to ease congestion.
They prefer to cut off their nose to spite their face.
Small and medium sized businesses along with the majority of Aucklanders would happily fund decent public transport but the diesel dinosaurs are king with National.
Aucklanders are left with the worst of both worlds – paying for massive expenditure on new roads and required to suffer endless traffic gridlock.
Minto for Mayor
Readers will know that I’ve put my hat in the ring as the Mana Movement candidate for Auckland mayor. Traffic gridlock is one of the biggest issues facing the city and will be the feature of our policy launch this coming Sunday. Anyone in Auckland is welcome to come along to hear our plans to give Aucklanders an extra hour at home every work day.
The Minto for Mayor policy launch is at Trades Hall, 147 Great North Road, Grey Lynn – 2pm this Sunday 7th July.