Get moving: Place for crossing decided by user

Q: Why are the pedestrian crossings so close to the Royal Oak roundabout? It leaves little room for vehicles to queue when leaving the roundabout, and will surely get worse with the new rules requiring motorists to give way to pedestrians on both sides of a crossing. Steve Hallett, Onehunga.

A: The crossings are put where pedestrians want them, that is, where there are "pedestrian desire lines".

It's not ideal, but the fear is that if the zebra crossings were anywhere else, pedestrians wouldn't use them and would thus put themselves at risk.

The changes to the Road User rules (2004) won't make any difference here as all the crossings have central islands, so motorists only have to stop for pedestrians crossing on their side of the road, not both sides.

Q: Cars travelling along Robert St in Ellerslie are required to give way to traffic coming from the right along Main Highway from Greenlane. On more occasions than I care to remember I have seen cars sail through this intersection, seemingly without seeing the giveway sign or even looking right. Is the city council aware of this dangerous intersection? Peta Freeman, Ellerslie.

A: Work on this area is scheduled to begin in the next few weeks and will include better signage, new road markings and a side island.

It should be finished by June, and hopefully will do the trick.

Q: In many small towns throughout New Zealand we notice signs asking trucks not to use engine braking for the next X kilometres. How come the largest and longest city in the country doesn't have the same restriction? Dennis Poole, Auckland.

A: Tricky one, this. Signs restricting heavy vehicle engine braking are only put up when there is a local bylaw to that effect, as a noise control measure.

Interestingly enough, Auckland City has never had such a bylaw. It appears there is an unwritten rule that truckies will not use engine braking in the cities, unless it's an unavoidable safety issue.

The implication is that there is enough other noise so that the sound of braking is indistinguishable.

However, last month Auckland City began a survey of freight operations in the city, which will include input from trucking firms, businesses and the community.

The concerns listed in the survey include engine braking noise and emissions.

The results will be used to inform future development of heavy road transport in the area.