Labour will freeze fuel excise duty for the next three years, transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere says, with cost of living the number one issue for rural and urban households alike.

“Maintenance will continue to be a priority under Labour — it’s really important that maintenance and renewals are there,” he says.

He says the National Land Transport Fund is under pressure, but the answer is prioritisation, shifting money away from roads of national significance towards day-to-day upkeep and public transport.

“We don’t want rural communities to be travelling along roads that are crumbling, that have massive numbers of potholes.”

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