Chaos can be a good day for the man in the clogged street

By STUART DYE transport reporter

As a driver who has made his living on Auckland's roads for 12 years, Darren Bruce could tell the politicians a thing or two.

Away from the statistics, debate and political posturing over traffic problems, the 34-year-old courier driver faces the daily battle of crossing the region in his van.

From 8am to 6pm, five days a week, Mr Bruce dodges and weaves through a perennial jam.

He says he has seen a steady decline over those 12 years, but in the last three, while driving for Urgent Couriers, the mayhem has become almost unbearable.

"It's as bad as they [the politicians] say. In fact, it's probably worse. At best it's chaos, but throw an accident or roadworks into the mix, and chaos is a good day."

Like others in the industry, Mr Bruce covers all the towns and suburbs of the region and never knows where he is going until the first call of the morning.

"People don't understand how hectic it is. It's one big juggling act and when there's the slightest hiccup it throws everything off-line."

What was once a 20-minute drive from his Beach Haven home to town is now anything up to 50 minutes.

"I used to be able to run off around 40 jobs in a day. Now it's between 25 and 35."

As a self-employed contractor, Mr Bruce covers 10,000km a month - and runs up a $1200 bill for fuel and maintenance.

A new 5.8c a litre tax on petrol, expected to be announced by the Government this morning, would cost him an extra $2.50 a day.

"It would kill me. Taxing commuters is one thing, but the roads are my livelihood, same as taxi drivers.

"But if the money genuinely goes to transport projects and can make a difference, then it's got to be worth it."

And top of the transport wishlist for a man who lives on the North Shore and can cross the bridge several times every day? "Another harbour crossing would do the job."



Driving in Auckland's gridlock

* 3.05pm Darren Bruce hits the harbour bridge heading north to deliver four packages in Albany. With a bit of drizzle and lane alterations, cars are already nose-to-tail at 20km/h.

* 3.20pm The first drop is made on schedule. Fifteen minutes, four drops and two pick-ups later and it's back towards the city.

* 3.45pm Call from control: "Get back towards the city centre." It's a new measure to try to get all drivers near the centre for last pick-ups of the business day before the traffic reaches "meltdown".

* 3.55pm Another drop in the city then out towards Greenlane. The southern motorway is "strangely quiet". It only takes 10 minutes from Hobson St.

* 4.30pm Four last packages for the airport. Nose-to-tail, with speeds down in some places to 5km/h for lengthy periods. The rain has slowed things further and there have been a few close calls as cars push for space.

"All in all a pretty clear run today."