Time of use charging regulations – consultation

Overview

We are consulting on proposed regulations to support the design of future time of use charging schemes under the Land Transport Management (Time of Use Charging) Amendment Act 2025.

The regulations would set nationally consistent rules for how time of use charging schemes operate.

We want to hear your views on the proposals set out in the consultation document.

Consultation is open until 25 June 2026.

What is time of use charging?

Time of use charging is a way of managing congestion by charging vehicles to use busy roads at the busiest times of day. Traffic congestion in New Zealand’s cities imposes significant costs, including lost time for commuters and freight, unreliable travel times, wasted fuel and higher emissions.

Why are these regulations needed?

In November 2025, Parliament passed the Land Transport Management (Time of Use Charging) Amendment Act. The Act enables time of use charging schemes to be developed in different parts of New Zealand, starting with places that experience the most congestion.

Before any scheme can be considered, supporting regulations are needed. These regulations create a consistent national framework so that schemes are fair, understandable, and legally robust.

No charging scheme can be established without these regulations being in place.

What are we proposing?

The Government is consulting on two key areas for regulation:

(1)  Differentiating charges by vehicle type

We are proposing that charges reflect a vehicle’s impact on congestion. Larger vehicles generally take up more road space and affect traffic flow differently to smaller vehicles.

The proposals set out:

• vehicle groupings based on existing New Zealand vehicle classes
• charging ratios between groups, using standard traffic engineering measures
• alternative grouping options, with different trade offs between simplicity and precision

(2)  Enforcement and penalties for non-payment

To ensure schemes work effectively, we are proposing a clear and proportionate enforcement approach.

This includes:

• treating non-payment of a time of use charge as an infringement offence
• a proposed fixed infringement fee of $70 for each unpaid trip

Have your say

Submissions must be received by 5pm on Thursday 25 June 2026.

We welcome feedback on any aspect of the proposed regulations.

The consultation document includes specific questions to guide submissions, but you do not need to answer every question. You can comment on any part of the proposals or raise other issues you think are important.

You can make a submission in any of the following ways:

• Citizen Space: Click "Share your views" below to submit your feedback
• Email: Send your submission to Time of Use Charging Regulations Consultation 2026 TOUregulations2026@transport.govt.nz with “Time of Use Charging Regulations – Submission” in the subject line
• Post: Time of Use Charging Regulations Consultation, Ministry of Transport, PO Box 3175, Wellington 6140

Privacy disclaimer

All submissions may be subject to release under the Official Information Act 1982. If your submission contains commercially sensitive or personal information you wish to withhold, please clearly identify this and explain the reason.

Consultation document