Labour and the Greens are making a shambles of transport policy in Nelson and nationally. Congestion is getting worse. Promised infrastructure is not being delivered. Basic services like driver licensing is failing.
Nelson has just published its 10 year plan with no major transport NZTA projects for a decade. Fuel taxes and road user charges have been increased four times. The Government now takes over $100 million a year from Nelson and Tasman but it is not being spent here. It is highway robbery!
The Government has an ever growing list of broken transport promises. Jacinda Ardern's first policy announcement on becoming Labour leader was light rail in Auckland saying it would be built and operating by 2021. It has not even started. She also promised Skypath, a walking and cycling link attached to the Auckland Harbour Bridge, that has now been shown to be unsafe engineering.
Labour in Election 2017 rejected Nationals commitment of $135 million for upgrading SH6 into Nelson saying there were better alternatives like moving the Port to Rabbit Island or putting a tunnel through the Port Hills. These are fanciful like Labours failed promise of 100,000 Kiwibuild homes. Green co-leader James Shaw promised Nelson in 2017 $23 million for a Rocks Road walkway and cycleway. Nothing has happened and none of it is mentioned in the 10 year plan.
The latest NZTA debacle is Nelsonians having to travel to Blenheim or Hokitika to do their practical driving test. Nelson driving instructors say the waits of more than three months are the worst ever. I have had local young people in tears and others driving unlicensed.
Labour and the Greens have spent big on changing the name of New Zealand Transport Agency to Waka Kotahi. The priority should be reducing congestion, building the promised infrastructure and doing the basics like driver licensing.
