Name: Focus: Aucklanders react as fuel tax gets scrapped
Uploaded: 2025-01-03T01:53:27.000Z
Duration: 4 min 24 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

Aucklanders could be in for some big savings at the fuel pump from today as the regional fuel tax gets scrapped.

But a new charge could soon be introduced in its place.

So how do Aucklanders feel and what does this all mean for the future of the city?

The fuel tax has raised around $150 million a year since its introduction in 2018.

It was meant to be in place for 10 years before the coalition government passed legislation in March to abolish it.

It should make a difference of 11.5 cents a litre, which was how much the tax cost.

And it should save the average motorist about $6 to fill up.

And for a tradie, say using a Toyota Hilux, probably about $9.

Yeah, especially with uni, I go back and forth.

I think to be able to buy a cheese scone, that'll make a big difference.

For my own car, half the time I can't even afford to put gas in it, so I'll catch a bus or I'll walk.

Honestly 5 or 10 doesn't make too much of a difference to be honest.

If it was 20, yeah, but not really 5 or 10.

While it's out with the fuel tax, a time of use congestion charging regime could be in.

No decisions have yet been made around a timeline, but the government is keen on the idea to help pay for its Roads of National Significance programme.

In theory, what it will look like is that motorists will be charged to use congested parts of the motorway in the morning and afternoon rush hour.

It's going to operate a bit like the toll systems work in New Zealand at the moment.

It'll be number plate recognition by cameras hanging from galleys.

In terms of cost, currently I think it's $2.40 to use the toll road north of Auckland.

The new Pennlink road that's being built between Whangaparaoa and State Highway 1, they're talking about $3.

So figures have been bandied around, up to about $5 as a congestion charge.

The money could be used to help fund three projects, Mill Road, the East West Link and extending the four lane highway from Puhoi to Walkworth through to Wellsford.

I don't think that's fair, I think they should just leave it as the 12 cents.

I think in theory it might be, but a lot of people would be mad.

I think everything's so expensive already at the moment, I guess that's kind of an incentive to bus and take public transport.

Yeah, it's one of those things, you can't really help when you're in your job, and if you're in your job at peak hour traffic, then that kind of falls on you.

I hate driving in peak hours, so I try to avoid it, but I would hate to have to pay for being stuck in traffic because that's a hassle.

I don't think that's very fair, I mean I understand that they're trying to get people to use buses and public transport, but at the same time it's not the most reliable source.

I've been caught out many times with a bus just not coming, so I understand why people drive to and from work.

So if they're making it more expensive during peak hours, then, I don't know, it's just not fair on everyone that goes to work.

If it reduces congestion on the motorways, then sure, people will be up for it.

The big downside at this stage is low-income earners who rely on driving their cars because they don't have public transport alternatives, and this is a concern to politicians, and it's one of the issues they're going to have to resolve before they introduce it.

How do you make a system like this fair for people on low incomes?

The process moving forward will need to involve passing legislation, consulting with councils, developing tech and building the infrastructure.

 Time for Aucklanders to lap up the savings while they last.

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Focus: Aucklanders react as fuel tax gets scrapped

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