The number of people complaining to NZTA/Waka Kotahi about damage to their vehicles because of the state of our roads has almost doubled in the past five years – but you won’t find the agency taking responsibility.
So far this year there have been 555 complaints to NZTA about damage to vehicles, but NZTA has only compensated four people.
Last week ACT revealed that NZTA has spent $45 million dollars on plans to lower speed limits around New Zealand, if only that money was put towards fixing the roads.
Instead, there’s now an open question about whether New Zealand’s roads have more orange cones or more potholes. Waka Kotahi’s solution is to spend your money reducing the speed limits instead of fixing the roads.
Under Labour, transport priorities are all wrong. Minister Michael Wood is obsessed with light rail, bike bridges, saving us from climate change and slowing people down.
Kiwis need to be able to visit sick parents, take kids to sport, and deliver goods to markets on safe roads at a decent speed.
For the people who live in North-West Auckland, being stuck in traffic queues through Kumeu, Huapai and on the motorway, is a daily reminder that our needs are not a priority for NZTA and AT.
Drivers on State Highway 16 heading to Brigham Creek Rd will have noticed the lonely concrete piers waiting for a bridge near North West shopping centre. NZTA reluctantly built those piers nearly a decade ago, designed for a future off ramp to the shopping Centre.
Despite all the growth in the North and West, NZTA never built the off ramps. Not a priority.
As a result the traffic queues leading to the new Costco store make it a trial for shoppers to reach this cut price paradise. When we need more options, more competition and better services, the Government doesn’t care to invest in our priorities.
ACT supports moves to lower the road toll, to make roads safer – but that comes from better roading infrastructure, not slowing people down and putting further restrictions on businesses who have quite frankly put up with enough under this Government.
Local people know what infrastructure their communities need.
That is why ACT would change the priorities of Government to be the priorities of the people in each region.
ACT would introduce 30 year infrastructure plans to be agreed between local government and central government, that can not be changed on a whim by a future Minister.
Increasing the level of private sector funding will inject much needed discipline into decision-making and target spending in the right places.
ACT wants your priorities to be our priorities.
