Transport Spokesperson
22 March 2016
Traffic jams caused by scattergun transport approach
The National Government’s refusal to take an integrated approach to transport planning is responsible for worsening
congestion around the country, says Labour Transport spokesperson Sue Moroney.
“The TomTom Survey released today proves what most New Zealanders already know – travel times are getting worse.
“The Government has squandered $12 billion on its Roads of National Significance (RONS) project, only to make matters
worse.
“New Zealanders expect a better result from such a big spend. It takes a high level of incompetence to spend that much
money and make congestion worse.
“If the Government had used the same amount of money to support public transport options alongside some of the RONS
developments, New Zealanders would not be spending more time sitting in traffic jams.
“The Waikato Expressway was planned and funded by the former Labour Government to reduce travel times for people and
freight between Hamilton and Auckland; however it now takes longer than ever to get from Hamilton to the Port of
Auckland because of congestion on the Southern Motorway.
“Feeding more traffic more quickly into a congested system only makes things worse.
“Labour stands for an integrated transport system that works for people and our local economies. New Zealand needs that
vision and commitment to get going again,” Sue Moroney says.
ends