A new traffic safety device - the first set of permanent traffic lights in the Far North - has officially flashed to stop traffic for the first time.
The Far North region's first set of permanent traffic signals were switched on in Paihia yesterday by the NZ Transport Agency.
The lights are not designed to control a complicated intersection but to manage the flow of people and traffic at a busy pedestrian crossing.
NZTA said the responsive traffic lights at the pedestrian crossing on Paihia's waterfront are designed to provide a better balance between pedestrian safety and traffic moving through the town centre.
The transport agency's system design manager, Brett Gliddon, said the upgrade to the crossing on State Highway 11 is in response to the growing number of tourists visiting Paihia.