Residents on Taradale's Guppy Rd say they want a road not a runway

Taradale residents Terry and Carolyn Young on Guppy Rd. Photo / Warren Buckland

Taradale Guppy Rd residents like Terry and Carolyn Young have had a gutsful of speedsters who they say are using the road as a high-speed runway.

Yesterday the Youngs' cat, Muffin, became a victim of a speeding car — run down and killed - and they fear it is only a matter of time before a person is struck.

In the words of one of their neighbours, Audra Zachan, a lot of young drivers heading for the nearby river at the end of the road use the stretch as a "runway".

"They come around the lights at Meeanee Rd and just put the pedal to the metal", she said.

Zachan has three youngsters, aged 3, 8 and 10, and they like to cycle around — but every time they head out toward the roadway from their back section she gets scared.

"I have to go out to watch them."

She has lived off Guppy Rd for just over three years and said the speeding driver problem had been a constant issue. Having a school in that area, Arthur Miller, made it especially unsettling, she said.While most of the speeding incidents were in the evening or night, there were occasions they had happened during the day.

Zachan said she had seen police stop drivers on the stretch from time to time and said they were often in the area.

"But they can't be there all the time," she said.

"There are times it gets really bad and something has to be done about the road — judder bars or traffic islands to slow them."

Carolyn Young agreed.

She and her husband have lived in Guppy Rd for about three years and she said the speeding happened "often".

"People just put their foot down along there — they don't think."

About 10.45am yesterday their cat was run down by a speeding car.

"We didn't see it happen but some neighbours did — they didn't get much details about the car unfortunately but said there were two young men in it."

She said the loss of their 18-month -old pet was "devastating" and she feared one day a child could be hit.

"The school holidays are coming up and there will be more children about during the day — it is a worry."

She said the stretch needed looking at closely in terms of reducing the potential for drivers to use it as a speed strip and said more signage was needed, as well as possibly judder bars or even a speed camera to record speedsters.

"A lot of people are concerned," she said.

"There's a mix of young and old around here and everyone is worried about what is happening."

Their daughter Amanda has taken up the safety baton in terms of preparing a petition which will be presented to the council.

One of those who said he would happily sign it was the principal of Arthur Miller School, Grieg Mercer.

"I would definitely sign it because something needs to be done — I would endorse anything that can get these cars to slow down along there."

Mercer said speed bumps at points along the stretch would be one option, "because during the day they just motor through here".

He said he had received continual feedback from concerned residents and parents about the issue, and said the planned new housing estate near the school would eventually increase the number of cars coming and going, and pedestrians crossing.

He was pleased to see regular police patrols moving through the area but like Audra Zachan said they could not be there all the time.

Napier mayor Bill Dalton said roading management would "certainly" be taking up the Guppy Rd concerns.

"There are ways of doing these things and we will look at it," he said.

One option was one that had already been installed on Chaucer Rd South and Waterhouse St — speed-reducing islands, roundabout systems and speed humps.

Dalton said past experience had shown that judder bars created too much noise and while some residents might want them they would not want them outside their properties.

"We certainly will have a look at this."