Auckland failed by Labour's transport plan

National Party Transport spokesman Roger Sowry says the country's transport needs are being sacrificed for Labour's political agenda.

"The Land Transport Bill will not solve Auckland's transport problems because Labour is now watering down the legislation to gain Green support.

"The Government has repeatedly said that the Bill will solve Auckland's transport problems but it won't.

"Now we know a funding package for the country's biggest city won't be released until next year," says Mr Sowry.

"When the Land Transport Bill was introduced Paul Swain said 'the bill proposes the biggest overhaul of land transport funding since the current system was introduced in the late 1980s.'

"He claimed 'it will allow for more long-term planning, introduce more flexible funding for transport projects in line with regional priorities and expand the objectives of Transit and Transfund.'

"But the National Party believes it won't get anywhere near that broad aim given Green Party interference.

"This Bill shows every potential to be worse than when it started for several reasons:

* Economic efficiency is needed in this Bill - New Zealand can't afford poor quality spending decisions.

* There needs to be an allowance for flexible network tolling.

* The provisions for PPPs simply aren't flexible enough and there are rumours that there will be no Auckland projects where they could be used - in the current restrictive form.

* The Greens influence will ensure that private sector isn't interested in being a part of PPPs.

"The original intent of the law has been drastically changed thanks to Green Party ideology," Mr Sowry says.

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