Time of use charging regulations – consultation

Overview

We consulted 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.

Consultation closed on 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 consulted 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

We will post a summary of the consultation on our website.