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To: John Carragher who wrote (39192)	10/6/2003 5:16:16 AM
From: Maurice Winn	Respond to of 74559

John, the Auckland Harbour Bridge started with a really high toll, 5 shillings [about NZ$20 in today's money, about US$10]. Which gradually reduced until it was 20c one way. Which was ridiculously cheap. Then the government took the toll away entirely. As a result, there have been traffic jams an hour long, or two hours long, for about 3 decades, despite the Nippon Clip-on 4 lane cantilevered extensions in 1966. cmi.transit.govt.nz The cost has been enormous. If the toll had been left on and a new bridge or two or three plus motorways built, there would have been free flowing traffic throughout Auckland. The dopey government and stupid electorate wanted "free" travel. So we got the Kremlin Central Planning model = huge queues for not much product. Just last year, the same situation happened in Tauranga, where the harbour bridge was raking in $multi millions which was being used to build more roads and would have funded a new bridge. The public and politicians took the toll off. So now they have constant queues, and inadequate roading in the region. Duh! I don't understand how Hawk doesn't get it that governments can and do produce economic activity, wealth and profit, even apart from the overhead aspects. Both bridges are enormously valuable and would be even more valuable if they were managed to maximize cash flow and further highway development. Road tolls are the way to run roads. Electronic management will boost existing highway capacity enormously. Revenue from peak times will fund huge highway development. Pretty soon, technology will make collection very easy and economic for even short trips on roads. Mqurice