Rapid rail and road safety initiatives have been prioritised by the Government at the expense of state highway upgrades.
It’s proposed the changes could be paid for by a new national fuel tax of between 9 and 12 cents per litre, Stuff reports.
That could hit Auckland motorists hard, with a regional fuel tax also on the cards, potentially jacking up petrol prices by 20 cents in the city.
The changes will be made to the $4 billion a year National Land Transport Fund, which is administered by the New Zealand Transport Agency.
“It’s about how we drive and the roads we drive on,” transport minister Phil Twyford says.
“We’re going to invest in what makes the most difference – regional and local roads, and targeted improvements to the State Highway network.”
Meanwhile, associate transport minister Julie Ann Genter called for lower speed limits on some roads.
State Highway spending under Labour will be between $900-$1150 million by 2021 according to Stuff, while under National it would have been $1200-$1650 million.
Public transport spending rises under Labour will be between $470-$600 million by 2021, while under National it was scheduled to be between $320-$465 million.
