The National Road Carriers Association would like to see the benefits of the Government’s proposed nationwide fuel tax that has just been announced as part of its transport policy statement.
We realise more investment is needed in transport infrastructure, but it is a case of what the priorities are.
There are no detailed solutions in the policy statement – and how long is it going to take? Our members might be prepared to pay an extra tax but want to see tangible freight benefits.
As the population grows and our big cities expand, there is going to be more demand for freight to be moved and much of it can only be moved by truck. And more trucks need better, safer and less congested roads.
Improving public and active transport is important, but the growth in road freight in the next 20 to 30 years will require more spending on roads, not less.
The current infrastructure is not coping, particularly in Auckland, and it is only getting worse.
The proposals in the Government policy statement for land transport offer little to improve the movement of freight, the life-blood required to keep towns, cities and the country functioning.
A growing population increases demand for all the things we consume on a daily basis and most of it is delivered by trucks. This demand means more trucks on our already clogged roads.
And it’s not just the freight transport sector that will grow. Look at all the tradesmen and courier vehicles on our roads – there are going to be more of them too. The civil engineering, commercial and residential building industries also create a lot of heavy transport movements and these too are increasing.
You only have to look at new developments on the outskirts of Auckland at Kumeu, Pokeno, Drury and Paerata – no extra transport infrastructure of any kind is in place to support the rapidly growing population.
Although efforts to get more people using public transport, particularly in Auckland, are commendable, the city’s population is increasing at a greater rate than the increased patronage of buses and trains.
That means only one thing – more vehicles of all kinds on the road. Yes, there needs to be increased spending on public transport but equally there needs to be more spent on the roading network.
The road freight transport sector welcomes increased rail and sea freight for bulk, non-perishable items but the proportion of the total freight load carried by each will remain similar into the future.
All modes will carry increased volume, with road freight still taking around 90% by virtue of being the only freight option with door-to-door capability.
NRC opposes increased fuel taxes taken from the road transport industry – and ultimately its customers – being used to fund any other types of transport apart from roading.
The road user charges and land transport fund have historically been used for road projects, including safety improvements and enforcement.
Whatever the Government finally decides to do, any increase in fuel taxes will ultimately be passed on to the end consumer, together with any increased administration costs.
The cost of just about everything a household consumes will go up and, because most of it has a trucking component, the fuel tax will become a tax on freight.
