1 Nov 2014

Selling shares 'could fund transport'

5:32 pm on 1 November 2014

The commercial road freight industry says Auckland Council should consider selling off its shares in Ports of Auckland and the Airport, to help plug a shortfall in transport funding.

An advisory group to the Auckland Council said options such as road tolls, fuel and rates rises could generate the $12 billion the council needed to pay for major projects in the region.

Chief Executive of the Road Transport Forum, Ken Shirley said none of the options tabled were acceptable and hard decisions needed to be made about the timing and priority of major projects.

He said the east-west connection in south Auckland would bring the greatest congestion relief for the trucking industry and should be a made an urgent priority.

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