Transport spokespeople from both major parties are welcoming the progress on closing the gap with Australia on road deaths. 

Between 2016 and 2018, New Zealand's road death rate was 2.5 people per 100,000 higher than Australia's. 

By last year, that gap had narrowed to just 0.4. 

National's Associate Transport Spokesperson James Meager told Ryan Bridge there are better roads, vehicles, and driver behaviour.  

He says new roads with 110 kilometre limits have seen few crashes and deaths, proving you can move quickly and safely.  

Labour's Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere told Bridge improvements in roadside testing and enforcement has made a difference.  

He says there's still work to go with the numbers of young people seriously injured and road safety data. 

But the two parties are clashing over how Labour would fund its proposed three-year freeze on fuel tax.  

Utikere told Bridge the cost of living is priority, and it would look at scaling back investment from the National Land Transport Fund to help pay for the freeze. 

He says the focus would be on maintaining existing roads, rather than promising new projects the country can't afford. 

Meager says the prospect of scaling back is concerning, and says Labour needs to provide more clarity on what projects would be affected. 

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