The NZ Transport Agency will be rolling out a range of improvements from next month to make it easier for drivers to use the Northern Gateway Toll Road in Auckland, as well as the soon to be opened Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road and the Takitimu Drive Toll Road (Route K).
From mid-July, drivers using the Northern Gateway Toll Road can expect a new look, easier to use website, a new prepaid account option, and easier cash payment channels in place of the ageing kiosks at Dairy Flat and Puhoi, which will be removed. At the beginning of August two new toll roads in Tauranga will also be added to the system - the Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road and the Takitimu Drive Toll Road. Drivers with tolling accounts (including existing account holders) will be able to pay for trips on all three toll roads with a single account.
Transport Agency Access and Use Group Manager Celia Patrick said the changes were being introduced to make it as easy as possible for people to use New Zealand toll roads.
“Since the opening of the Northern Gateway Toll Road in 2009 there have been significant improvements to tolling technology, and we’ve upgraded our systems so that New Zealand drivers get the benefits of those improvements with a range of fast, convenient and simple payment methods.”
The coin-only kiosks at BP Dairy Flat and Puhoi will be removed once the new system is live, and new in-person payment services will be available at 33 upper North Island BP and Caltex service stations, where over the counter payments will be accepted in cash or by debit or credit card. A transaction fee of $1.20 to cover administration costs will apply to payments made at the service stations.
The easiest option for drivers is to pay tolls online with no administration fee at www.tollroad.govt.nz(external link), or set up an online account which will cover travel on all three toll roads.
For further more information go to www.tollroad.govt.nz(external link)
