Article: Congestion tax plan for southeast Queensland

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Congestion tax plan for southeast Queensland

Congestion tax plan for southeast Queensland
Article from: The Courier-Mail

By Craig Johnstone

July 18, 2009 12:00am

THE Queensland Government is considering congestion charging as part of a revamp of transport plans for the state's southeast.

The revelation comes as Main Roads Minister Craig Wallace admitted yesterday the Government was modelling a variety of tolling options to reduce congestion.

Both Mr Wallace and Transport Minister Rachel Nolan refused to rule out expansion of current tolling to include charging motorists to use city roads if they become congested.

"It would be highly irresponsible for my department not to examine all of those options," he told yesterday's Budget Estimates hearings.

"In this regard the department continues to explore world's best practice in tolling and innovative tolling strategies involving distance, time and travel, vehicle occupancy and carbon emissions."

Congestion charging was ruled out by the Government three years ago. But its reappearance coincides with the introduction of so-called free-flow tolling on southeast Queensland's major motorways, which would make the introduction of a congestion charge or cordon tolling system easier.

The Government's project director in charge of the revamp, Ken Deutscher, has told traffic and transport figures the Government was working on several options for transport reform as part of its "Connecting SEQ 2031" strategy.

In a presentation to the Australian Institute for Traffic Planning and Management, he said one of these proposed strategies was congestion charging in major centres.

His presentation cited modelling which showed that even with the massive investment in new roads, rail and busways, "congestion will increase" but that convincing people to change their transport habits would reap benefits.

Motoring groups such as the RACQ have been long-time advocates of congestion charging, saying it has been shown to effectively cut traffic congestion in inner city areas.

Ms Nolan said congestion tolling was not on the Government's agenda.

However, echoing Mr Wallace, she said she expected her department to "consider all policy options".

The most widely known example of congestion charging is in London, where vehicles are charged about $15 a day to enter the central city between 7am and 6pm.

In 2006, then transport minister Paul Lucas described congestion charging as a "toll road by stealth".

Opposition transport spokeswoman Fiona Simpson said Mr Wallace's comment showed the Government was actively investigating distance tolling.

"Queensland has already become the most expensive state in which to own and run a car courtesy of the Bligh Labor Government's fuel tax and hike in vehicle registration fees," she said.

[ozbob]

For those so interested, check out the Queensland Parliament Hansard ESTIMATES COMMITTEE D?MAIN ROADS 17 July 2009 click --> here!  External Link PDF

[ozbob]

In some comments to Fairfax radio following the Queensland Auditor Generals scathing report on urban congestion planning in south-east Queensland I suggested that congestion taxes were inevitable. It seems the political softening up processes have begun.   Before a congestion cordon toll is placed in Brisbane public transport must be much improved, particularly rail frequency.  There must be real choices.  We continue to rail!

[skippy]

I agree with congestion charging, however setting up tolling infrastructure around the perimeter of the CBD and operating and maintaining the system is expensive and politically fraught.  There are a few government policies which are significantly cheaper and can be used to discourage car travel to the CBD in peak periods.

1. Ban or modify the rules for early bird parking. The notion of providing a discount for entering CBD parking before 9am and leaving after 3pm is appalling. It encourages people to drive to and from the CBD in peak periods, yet does nothing for those poor sods working in hospitality starting or finishing shifts outside public transport hours.

No problem with discount parking for entering say before 6am and after 9am, for those working outside regular office hours when public transport is less frequent or non-existent.


2. Introduce a parking levy similar to what is done in Sydney. See below from the NSW Ministry of Transport


Parking Space Levy
The Parking Space Levy (PSL) was introduced to discourage car use in major commercial centres, encourage the use of public transport and to improve air quality. The PSL funds public transport infrastructure projects which make it easier and more convenient for people to access public transport services.

Recent projects funded by PSL include the Liverpool - Parramatta and North West Transitways, upgrade of the Parramatta and Bankstown Transport Interchanges, building of a new commuter carpark at Wentworthville and the installation of secure bike lockers at railway stations.

The PSL applies to leviable premises in the districts of:

Sydney's CBD, North Sydney/Milsons Point (Category 1)
Bondi Junction, Chatswood, Parramatta and St Leonards (Category 2)

The PSL commenced on 1 July 1992. The object of the Parking Space Levy Act (2009) "is to discourage car use in leviable districts by imposing a levy on parking spaces (including parking spaces in parking stations), and by using the revenue to encourage the use of public transport (in particular, public transport to and from or within, those districts)."

Some parking spaces are exempt from PSL, for example where a space is set aside exclusively for:

The parking of motor vehicles by persons who hold mobility parking scheme authorities
The parking of motor vehicles by persons who reside on the premises or on adjoining premises
The parking of motor vehicles for the purpose of loading/unloading of goods or passengers
The parking (without charge) of any motor vehicles owned or occupied by a religious body, a public charity or benevolent institution.

[Sunbus610]

This sounds like a pretty good and practical idea or alternatively we could politely ask all the southerners' and foreigners' that have/are infiltrating our region to kindly leave SE Qld and ping off back to where they come from.

[Derwan]

I am a strong supporter of a congestion tax - or CityToll as I like to call it.  However, public transport MUST be fixed first!

[O_128]

I am a strong supporter of a congestion tax - or CityToll as I like to call it.  However, public transport MUST be fixed first!

id rather the tax put on first then we will see newspaper articles with a  picture of the working family complaing that there was no sufficicnet pt planning lol. Also a citytoll wouldnt have much effect as many cars are government owned. First take all the cars off government employees and give them free pt

[Mozz]

I understand the percentage of govt (state/fed/local) employees in brisbane cbd is around 20% - then the number of govt employees who drive a govt car to and from work and garage in the cbd would be around 2%  of the original 20% of all cbd workers - not really a significant figure in the scheme of traffic congestion.

[stephenk]

I am a strong supporter of a congestion tax - or CityToll as I like to call it.  However, public transport MUST be fixed first!

I agree. The congestion charge worked well in London, however London already had decent public transport. Brisbane cannot introduce a congestion charge until public transport is at a high enough standard to be a credible alternative to leaving the car at home. At the moment it isn't!

[ButFli]

I reckon we should introduce CityToll (I love that name) and let the car drivers sort themselves out. I don't expect many to leave the car at home, they will just cough up the extra cash. Cars should be taxed the way that other addictive and harmful products like alcohol and tobacco are. The extra money can be spent on public transport.

[O_128]

i would say the best way to do it is to put a e toll thing on all the bridges,coro drive,ICB and lutwyche road! i can already imagine the outcry.

[mufreight]

The solution is to provide adequate reliable public transport.   

[ButFli]

The solution is to provide adequate reliable public transport.   

Providing PT is only part of the solution. Many people are addicted to cars. There needs to be some insentive to make the switch.

[Paul.Zenon]

I am a strong supporter of a congestion tax - or CityToll as I like to call it.  However, public transport MUST be fixed first!

I agree 100%

It's fine for governments to bleat about introducing these types of taxs/tolls - but we need them to come up with high frequency, reliable alternatives for us to not bring our vehicles into the cbd first.  Great public transport services first - then start thinking about tolls etc.

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Tolls on bypasses won't fix the CBD

Tolls on bypasses won't fix the CBD
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Gary Fites

July 22, 2009 12:00am

THE proverbial bricks have descended on Main Roads Minister Craig Wallace and Transport Minister Rachel Nolan for uttering two words "congestion charging".

Deputy Premier Paul Lucas was predictably quick to declare that making motorists pay for the congestion to which they contribute on inner-city roads was "not on the agenda".

Three years ago, as transport minister, Lucas described congestion charging as a "toll road by stealth", reflecting a mainstream political view that motorists ? who are otherwise milked at every turn by governments ? should be spared a traffic-management innovation that could actually help make getting around Brisbane's roads quicker and ultimately less expensive for most commuters, irrespective of their travel mode. The paradox of politicians' near-paranoid fear of even talking about putting a price on congestion is reflected in their full-blown enthusiasm for making every bypass road being built to relieve southeast Queensland's growing traffic crisis a toll facility.

More than 50 years ago, American economist and Nobel Laureate William Vickrey described the imposition of tolls on roads built to alleviate congestion while allowing free access to congested roads as an "outstanding absurdity".

Vickrey recommended charges should apply only at congested locations in the road system, with the revenue raised going towards funding alternative facilities for those congested roads.

Thinking about the expanding regime of tolls on current and proposed bypass routes around Brisbane, can anyone seriously propose that Vickrey's road would not have been the better one for southeast Queensland to travel?

Rather than motorists being charged to use bypasses and ring roads that divert traffic away from roads in and out of the Brisbane CBD (and at least half of the vehicles currently funnelled into our inner-city area have cross-town destinations), the major cost onus would fall on those who still choose to contribute to the peak period snarls.

Importantly, under Vickrey's model ? and through road pricing schemes now in place in cities such as London, Stockholm and Singapore ? congestion charging not only better manages peak period demand on valuable road space but also helps fund better public transport or toll-free bypass routes.

We cannot ignore that both the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council have, in recent years, nailed their colours to the mast of the traditional toll road, delivered through public-private partnerships.

While they cannot easily change course from this route, they should at least be prepared to entertain ? and participate in ? public debate on alternative directions towards achieving meaningful relief from the economically and environmentally wasteful excesses of the southeast's daily traffic grind.

For RACQ's part, our organisation has no problem with putting forward consideration of congestion charging as part of a more efficient and equitable approach to dealing with the traffic congestion that costs tens of thousands of motorists time and money each working day.

Further, our member research during the past few years shows that, when congestion charging is explained to them, most motorists "get it", even if most politicians don't.

But now that two state ministers have at least been prepared to say the dreaded words, perhaps other politicians might also find the courage to join the discussion.

Gary Fites is the RACQ's general manager.