$5 congestion charge seems fair

The Herald reports:

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown says the city’s motorists could soon be charged $5 per trip on some of its busiest highways.

Speaking to Newstalk ZB’s Heather du Plessis-Allan this afternoon, Brown said he is looking at placing the congestion charges on SH1 between the Penrose and Greenlane on-ramps, and SH16 between the Lincoln Rd and Te Atatu on-ramps.

“Between 7am and 9am, those two motorways jam up and between 4.30pm and 6.30pm, they jam up again,” Brown said.

He claimed travelling at peak times was “easily avoidable”.

I’m not sure it is easily avoidable but I do think congestion charging is a better form of user pays for roads than merely petrol tax. It is the peak time congestion that requires additional roads and lanes, so motorists should pay more for using a road at peak times.