Congestion charges are back on the table again. This time because of an NZTA report.

This report recommends that they’re introduced in Auckland within the next three years.

For motorists trying to get in to the central city during peak times, it recommends a charge of up to $3.5 for going into the central city between 6am-9.30am and 3.30pm-7pm. 

I feel like I should apologise for opening on the show on an Auckland issue, if you are listening from outside Auckland, but this might well affect you in time. Because what happens in Auckland often eventually comes to every other city. 

Now, it might be tempting to write this off as just the latest attempt to introduce them, which never really gets off the ground.

But, this does feel somewhat more serious. This is not a fringe pressure group or a think tank behind this report.

This is a joint initiative by Auckland Council, the treasury, the NZTA and so on. 

And these recommendations are tied to a specific event, which is the completion of the City Rail Link.

The report says the introduction of congestion charges should be timed to coincide with the CRL.

The point there is to give motorists an alternative. But to my mind, the CRL is not the solution.

 The CRL is a rail link around the inner city suburbs. That is not going to help people stuck out in West Auckland or South Auckland or even East Auckland trying to get into the city.

If we want people out of their cars, we have got to give them trains and busses that work properly.  

We do not yet have that, not as long as it takes you an hour and a half to get from Henderson to Mt Roskill on a bus when the drive takes 15. 

Not as long as you have to changed trains on the southern rail line at Papakura just to get from Pukekohe in to the city.

We know people will choose public transport if it work. Just look at the success of the Northern Express busway.  That thing is a raging success because it has dedicated roads just for the busses.

Congestion charging didn’t get those people out of their cars. A good bus service did.

So until we’ve got that system, or something similar for every part of Auckland City, and quite frankly any city in the country, congestion charging in only going to make life more expensive and slower and not more productive.