Congestion charges 'needed in NZ cities'

Congestion charges must be introduced to dampen our insatiable appetite for cars, a transport expert has warned.

Lee Schipper, a United States academic whose research focuses on transport congestion, told a transport forum in Wellington this week that cities such as Auckland and Wellington were prime candidates for congestion charges - under which drivers pay to bring their cars into the city during certain hours.

Such schemes have been introduced overseas in cities such as London and Stockholm. In Stockholm, traffic was cut by 25 per cent, removing 100,000 vehicles a day from peak-hour traffic.

In New Zealand, 91 per cent of people drive to work alone each day.

Dr Schipper said that, rather than spending millions on improving roads, congestion charges should be used to lighten the load.

The Transport Ministry has completed a $2.3 million study into charging Auckland motorists using key roads at peak times.

Just a quarter of submitters thought it was a good idea, but Transport Minister Annette King has asked officials to investigate further. Her spokesperson said nothing would happen on congestion charges without public consultation.

Wellington City Council transport and urban development leader Andy Foster said congestion charging might be looked at in the future but was not imminent.

New Zealand also lagged behind much of the world when it came to emission standards, Dr Schipper said.

"When I was last in New Zealand I was told everything was in hand, but with the number of smoking vehicles I saw, I'm not so sure that's the case," he said.

The Government has proposed stricter standards from January, meaning imported petrol vehicles must meet Japan's 2000 emission standards.