An annual pass for the Manwatu Gorge road?

Stuff reports:

Hundreds of people — if not the entire population of Woodville — turned out for a public meeting in the small town to oppose plans to toll a state highway in their area.

Te Ahu a Turanga, the replacement road for the Manawatū Gorge, is set to open in May 2025, but at “last minute” proposal has been made by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) to charge motorists.

It would bring tolls of $4.30 for light vehicles and $8.60 for heavy vehicles travelling between Ashhurst and Woodville, and many residents said the additional costs would be a “cruel” burden to bear.

Children sat watching iPads in their Oodies while parents asked NZTA representative Linda Stewart how they were going to afford to take their kids to sports and other regular appointments in Palmerston North.

Tararua College presiding member Bexx Brown said they too had concerns as many of their students needed to travel for educational purposes.

Woodville also had a median income of $22,700, and with limited employment in the area people had no other option but to travel for work.

Rangitane representative Mavis Mullins said those most impacted by the proposal would be the most vulnerable people in their community.

As a general principle I support user pays for roads and tolls are a better form of user pays than simply petrol tax. I have no problem with every new major road being tolled. Better those who use the road pay for it, than people from all over New Zealand.

But I can see the impact of tolls on this particular community could be significant. However it is worth pointing out they can use the existing SH3 so people could choose to use the free longer route or tolled shorter less windy route.

Another option could be whether locals could purchase a monthly or annual pass that would have a cap on using the toll road. $4.30 a trip is $8.60 a day return, $43 a week, $170 a month or $2,100 or so a year. A $100 monthly pass could be reasonable?