Letters: Greerton roading upgrades will be a good thing

A reader says the Greerton roading upgrade is not necessarily a bad thing. Photo / File

In response to Dan Russell, (Letters November 23), you identify "huge lines of waiting cars" being the most easily identifiable problem with the traffic upgrade in Greerton.

Here's the thing. Waiting cars don't run over pedestrians and terrorise cyclists and Tauranga City Council is absolutely on the right track in taking measures to reduce the carnage on our roads.

Reducing speeds on all residential and central city streets makes them safer for everyone.

Here's the other thing. Drivers stuck in lines of congestion get tired of it and explore more efficient ways of getting around. It's the council's and NZTA's job to provide viable, alternative, safe options for all travellers.

Bravo to the council for making these changes in Greerton, which is a brilliant local community. Please hold your ground on this [Tauranga City Council transport
manager] Martin Parkes because when the Cameron Rd upgrades are completed, drivers will finally have a choice: walking, cycling, catching the bus or driving.

Sue McArthur
Maungatapu

Education priorities

So it's NCEA time and the media have failed to highlight a recent article that 40 per cent of NCEA graduates failed a literacy test and 42 per cent were functionally innumerate.

These students may be good at other subjects but they don't know the basics of life.

On the other hand, Green Party leader Marama Davidson recently committed the party to teaching Māori language in all primary schools by 2025.

The Greens fail to realise that schools have other priorities such as having sufficient teachers, paying them adequately, special needs assistants, supporting teachers in disciplinary matters, plus that Māori language has been available in secondary schools for many decades.

These are additional priorities to simply concentrating on English literacy and numeracy as number one.

Fair enough to promote Māori language in a social sense but it is not needed for most vocations and thus, in my view, it will never put food on the table.

I find it hard to believe the extent that New Zealand has botched its education system which is so vital to our future wellbeing. I also feel sorry for the Greens voters whose grandstanding politicians have, in my opinion, failed the commonsense test.

Bill Capamagian
Tauranga

Get tough on phone use

We read every day about phone use while driving, and at the same time we read about how we should address the problem and punish the perpetrators.

Up to now, there is no plan to work to, no national or regional agreement.

My humble suggestion for the BOP mayors, is to urgently get together and
put the following measures in place under an emergency bylaw for the safety of all BOP residents.

This plan will also give us a test bed for the rest of our country, and we will certainly need it if so-called recreational cannabis hits the roads - imagine the tragedies that will bring to our roads.

My driver and phone proposition is simple: Hurt the offenders in their pockets.

First offence, $750 instant fine. Second offence, $1500 instant fine
and loss of phone. Third offence, loss of car and phone, 100 hours' community work.

How about that for getting their attention?

C'mon mayors, let's do this!

Russell McKenzie
Papamoa

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