As expected, the National Land Transport Programme lacks ambition for our cities and our country’s rail network and puts the majority of investment into roads.

“We too want to build the infrastructure our country needs, and that includes roads – like the vital link replacing the Manawatū Gorge,” Labour’s transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere said.

“I’m pleased to see the Pages Road Bridge in Christchurch on that list, which Labour has been campaigning for locally, as well as projects that Labour had committed to such as the Hope bypass, the Christchurch Northern Link, Napier to Hastings and Tauranga to Tauriko.

“But they’ve halved the budget that makes it easier to walk and cycle in our cities, which is disappointing and short-sighted. The traffic problems in Auckland aren’t going to be solved with more roads. Where is the ambition for our biggest city?

“I would have liked to see increased investment in rail including freight and passenger services across New Zealand. Taking trucks off our roads is what will permanently fix the pothole problem, not some arbitrary fund that will only result in more patch-up jobs and road cones.

“The National Government has cancelled rail-enabled ferries – a vital transport link – and is heaping costs on drivers with increased licencing fees, a driver’s tax of $50 and a planned double-digit fuel excise increase of 12c per litre from 2027.

“This roads announcement doesn’t come close to patching that up,” Tangi Utikere said.

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