So what's to be done about the debt on Route K, cause of much wailing and gnashing of teeth?
Discouraging users by raising the toll charge? No way!
It has been obvious for some time...thanks Rogers Rabbits for pointing it out in your 'scratchings” a couple of weeks ago, while A Barnes (09.12.11.) quotes a horror story of numbers.
Now we must ask the question 'If Route K was built today what would be the cost?”
If that cost is more than the total debt, and I suggest it would be a frightening amount more, then we're still on the right side of the ledger. Add in upgrades so far not required on Cameron Rd, Cambridge Rd etc. had all that traffic been clogging those streets, and we're not lumbered with financial disaster after all! And, if we had a sensible money system, Route K and other capital works, could have been financed by the Reserve Bank (we own it remember) at nominal or no interest.
Tolls then, surplus of operating costs, could pay off debt instead of being sunk in that bottomless pit of interest charges. So, is Tauranga City Council prepared to campaign for this facility to be made available?
Time to get started! Don't expect any help from all our overseas owned banks though.
Cedric Blaymires, Te Puke.
1 comment
Route K
Posted on 20-12-2011 18:08 | By algail
The idiot that designed route K should be the one burnt in effigy once a year instead of poor old Guy who really tried to do something many of us would like to try and succeed in today. Route K because of its design is a joke. It can only be used to get to Tauranga or from Tauranga to Pyes Pa etc. Had the idot who designed it and the councillor group that signed it off put some thought into it, the road probably could have been paid off by now. Why do I say all that ? Well there is no on ramp for traffic coming from the north and there is no off ramp for traffic travelling north. Had those two ramps been put in place Route k would have been used a lot more. Heavy madly driven log laden trucks driven by lunatic truck drivers heading for the port. All such trucks could be banned from using Cambridge road to get to the port. Lowering the toll would be the way to go then more would use the road. Trying to get onto Cambridge road from and Side Street or entrance is a dice with death when a heavily laden trucks going at least 100ks and hour is bearing down on one. If the TCC and the designer put more thought into Route k we would all be a lot better off. Let's hope that Santa brings a lot of thinking caps to Tauranga and drops them down the chimneys of TCC members, which he may refuse to do after Ernie's comments Alastair Bethlehem
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