ROADING COSTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26617, 13 November 1947, Page 6

ROADING COSTS

CLAIMS OF CITIES USE OF PETROL TAX P.A. WELLINGTON, Nov. 12. A proposal that a greater share of the petrol tax should be given to the cities will be made by the Wellington City Council in a remit to the next municipal conference to be held in March, 1948. The council made this decision on the recommendation of the town clerk, Mr E. P. Norman, who said that in the year ended in 1946, the petrol tax revenue was £4,360,000. Of this, boroughs of over 6000 population received £115,930. the main highways account £1,505.678. and the Consolidated Fund £2,724,000. Over the last 20 years the system of highways through the counties and small boroughs had been developed and rightly received the lion's share of the money available for reading. The time had now come, however, when the traffic arteries in congested urban areas required remaking on new lines and when provision must be made for parking vehicles off main streets. This would require tremendous expenditure. It was only equitable that the taxation extracted from the users of vehicles should be supplied for the purpose. It. was not right that the money so extracted should be paid into the general coffers until services. in the way of roading had been provided from it. It was equally wrong that rates should be paid by owners of small dwellings and others not owning motor cars to provide additional roads and parking areas for motor cars.