Final details about how people will pay tolls on the Tauranga Eastern Link highway are not going to be decided for years yet, say NZTA communications advisor Philippa Ross-James.
Presently the tolls will be collected via a camera laden gantry that will photograph vehicles and bill the owners.
What else will happen to the information, and whether or not people will be able to pay cash, are decisions not yet made.
'What we are saying is, it will take five years to build,” says Philippa.
'We don't need to decide that right now. The decisions on the toll operation will be made closer to the time.”
The only State Highway toll road in operation is the Northern Gateway toll road.
It offers internet, account and kiosk payment options. Being sent a bill after the event attracts a $2.20 administration charge.
The website www.tollroad.govt.nz has more information.
Every vehicle using the TEL highway will be photographed front and rear and scanned for length from an overhead gantry, which will be sited between the Kaituna Bridge and the proposed Rangiuru business park.
The toll will be $2 for cars and $5 for heavy trucks. Traffic can be photographed/ scanned for tolls at any speed.
See video showing the toll plan here.
6 comments
cool video
Posted on 21-11-2010 12:03 | By dogsbody
thanks sunlive and nzta, neat video, explains really well the whole concept. cheers
Better in future
Posted on 21-11-2010 20:23 | By tibs
Currently on the Northern Gateway toll road, a medium sized station wagon with Kayaks on a roof rack gets scanned and has its plate recorded and then gets billed $5 - a nice little earner. Even though they have the registration recorded and hence know that it is a car ($2 toll) tries to levy the $5 truck toll. The owner then has to get them to refund the balance. The toll people say "It was scanned on length" and even though they have the registration number from their system that tells them it's a car they still go for the jugular. I wonder how many people pre-pay and don't check their accounts closely enough, if towing a trailer or something long on a roof rack and unwittingly over pay?
Totally opposed to tolls
Posted on 22-11-2010 10:57 | By Murray.Guy
110% opposed to tolls as a means of paying for a road. A minimum half of that collected disappears in collection costs and maximum network benefit cannot be achieved (eg: Route K, few entry and exit points) as the design has to support the toll collection rather than 'best outcome for tghe community of users and those adjacent! The regional fuel tax was the logical alternative.
Partial agreement
Posted on 22-11-2010 15:33 | By tibs
I agree with Murray on the cost of tolling, it looks daft. But the toll on a specific road is better targeted. If I use it, I pay. No use no pay. That's what Route (rooted?) K will be like when they double the toll. Best idea I've seen was from Murray Guy, I think, free after 11pm, like the bridge was. People being creatures of habit queued til the toll booths closed then drove over and then a pattern would develop of them using the bridge at other times. I've been an enthusiastic user of Route K, but the last council CEO has wrecked it. That chap cost this area a lot. Still at least he's gone north to a smaller salary by all accounts. Does that look odd to anyone?
All benefit from better roads
Posted on 22-11-2010 16:59 | By Murray.Guy
All benefit from better, safer, more convenient roads. The more trucks and cars that use Route K, the less we have using Cameron, and Cambridge Rds. The Eastern Arterial will secure significant benefits for the non-users, espesially in Te Puke.
Route K
Posted on 23-11-2010 09:28 | By enjay
We use route K when heading over the kaimais, we live in Papamoa and find it a good alternative to going through welcome bay, just a pity more people don't use it.
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