National road freight peak body Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand fully supports the introduction of legislation to allow congestion charging, as proposed by Transport Minister Simeon Brown today.

Interim CEO Dom Kalasih says congestion charging, or "time of use schemes" have proven highly useful in reducing traffic snarl-ups in many cities when used properly, and can lift productivity by allowing vital transport operators to operate more effectively.

"Freight transport is a vital part of our economy, and anything that lets truckies get deliveries done more efficiently is good for them, good for their customers and good for the economy."

Mr Kalasih says congestion charging helps reduce low-value trips into cities which aren’t required at certain times.

"We don’t want people stopped from driving; we just want to ensure that people prioritise their travel times."

Mr Kalasih says it is important that the government considers exempting freight operators from "time of use schemes".

"All the travel our operators do is vital. We don’t travel anywhere unless we have to, and what we have to do is get goods picked up and delivered as efficiently as possible."

"We appreciate that transport will make large productivity gains from having less traffic to deal with, and that alone will be a win for everyone, for our members, and for NZ Inc."

"In addition to the productivity gains from freeing up the network, we can also avoid the need to invest in increasing road capacity."

"We are also pleased to see the Coalition Government proposing to ring-fence any revenue from congestion charges so it has to be reinvested back into improving infrastructure."

"There are a lot of projects that need funding, and dedicated revenue streams will help keep New Zealand moving."

About Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is the peak national membership association representing the road freight transport industry. Our members operate urban, rural and inter- regional commercial freight transport services throughout the country.

Road is the dominant freight mode in New Zealand, transporting 92.8% of the freight task on a tonnage basis, and 75.1% on a tonne-km basis. The road freight transport industry employs over 34,000 people across more than 4,700 businesses, with an annual turnover of $6 billion. For further information , contact Dom Kalasih, interim chief executive, Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand, 027 441 4309.

© Scoop Media