The kilometre of Napier road with 13 temporary speed signs, and no roadworks

A motorist regularly driving along Waiohiki Rd says the council's use of 13 temporary reduced speed signs along a one kilometre stretch of road is excessive. Photo / Warren Buckland

On a one kilometre stretch of Taradale road are 13 temporary speed reduction signs, and not a roadwork in sight.

It's deliberate. Napier City Council, which hasn't permanently changed the speed on the road, says it put them up in March and will keep the signs up for some time yet.

It's a decision that's left resident Gary Shaw both bemused and frustrated.

Shaw's gripe is with a one kilometre stretch of road between the EIT campus on Gloucester St, over Redclyffe Bridge, to Waiohiki Rd before it reaches the golf course.

The signs drop the speed limit from 70km/h to 50km/h.

Shaw drives the route between Taradale and Hastings at least twice most days. He says the signs, with no roadworks nearby is "an overkill and onslaught of signage".

"I thought it was ridiculous."

Shaw wants people in the area to slow down, and he respected the council's right to change the speed limit, but he said the temporary signs had created confusion, and most people were flagrantly breaching them.

"I've found people aren't really observing it.

"The majority of cars driving through are still doing the 70km/h."

A motorist regularly driving along Waiohiki Rd says the council's use of 13 temporary reduced speed signs along a one kilometre stretch of road is excessive. Photo / Warren Buckland

Napier City Council team leader transportation Robin Malley said the temporary speed measures were put in place during the Covid-19 lockdown because of increased traffic in the area after a recycling centre closure.

"During the Covid-19 lockdown the private recycling centre in town closed down and this left the council's transfer station on Springfield Road as the only option for recycling locally once lockdown ended.

"This obviously meant there was a significant increase in traffic using Springfield Road and its approaches via Gloucester Street and Waiohiki Road."

He said the signs were left in place, because Covid-19 alert levels could change at short notice. It means that while the Covid crisis is ongoing, the signage will remain.