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The possibility of charges being introduced for parking at park and ride facilities has been raised in Auckland Council’s current Emergency Budget.
The option was raised in Auckland Transport’s 2015 parking strategy but this is the first reference to it in a Council budget, which could foreseeably take it forward.
Local councillors say that if the proposal is adopted into the final budget, it opens the way for all park and ride facilities, including Silverdale and Albany, as well as ferry terminals, to introduce parking charges.
Councillors Wayne Walker and John Watson say although they are against this option, if there are no submissions showing strong public opposition it could go through.
Cr Watson says the facilities at Silverdale and Albany are among the biggest in Auckland and are often full by 7.30am, showing their success in getting people out of their cars.
“If charges are introduced, more people will stay in their cars, there will be more traffic and less bus revenue,” he says. “It also goes against AT’s main goal of getting more people onto public transport.”
In the past Auckland Transport has said it won’t introduce charges at the Silverdale park and ride because of its distance from the city, and a lack of feeder buses into the park and ride. However, there is no mention of this type of condition in the single sentence in the Emergency Budget.
The Emergency Budget is out for public consultation and Auckland Transport says it is not commenting on the proposal during the consultation period.
“We will have more certainty on the impacts to the Auckland Transport programme when the budget is adopted in July,” a spokesperson says.
Consultation on the Emergency Budget closes next week, on Friday, June 19 and is online only.
