Ask Phoebe: Bridging the gap to hospital

General traffic will be banned during the day from Grafton Bridge. Photo / Brett Phibbs

If and when Grafton Bridge is closed to traffic during the day, I was wondering whether ambulances will still be able to use it to transport patients to Auckland City Hospital?

Obviously if it's an emergency or a critical patient they will be exempt but a number of patients are carried without the lights and sirens.

Can you clarify? Mark Smith, Auckland.

The proposal currently under review is for general traffic to be banned from the bridge between 7am and 7pm, except for buses, pedestrians, cyclists and emergency vehicles.

I would imagine that this would include ambulances used on regular duties. The plan is for the proposal to be monitored for six months after the bridge reopens next month.

And, again with the bridge:

Where the Grafton Bridge arch springs from the abutments, there is a gap and what appears to be a retro-fitted base isolator, for earthquake protection. Is that right? How on Earth would it have been fitted? John Ormond, Auckland.

Ashley Cooper, project manager for Brian Perry Civil who are the engineers responsible for the bridge strengthening, says that this is part of the original work, and thinks it might be a block bearing.

Some time ago the VIPID, also known as the bus arrival info thingy, at the beginning of Remuera Rd in Newmarket was removed when construction of the now-completed apartment block began. Can you find out when this will be replaced? It's very inconvenient not knowing when buses are due at this stop as you don't know whether to choose other options. Karen Eisenhut, Remuera.

The VIPID (Visual Information Processor Input Device - don't you just love it?) will be replaced when Auckland City Council has finished a bit of tidying up work here. It's not too far away - a bit like the next bus, really.

Could you please find out whether there are any plans for a speed camera in Hillsborough Rd, to save traffic officers having to lurk in the bushes on side roads, armed with speed guns? Nina Hodgson, Hillsborough.

Inspector Jim Wilson, western area commander for the Auckland City police district, is understandably a bit put out at the suggestion that his officers "lurk in the bushes".

He says police employ a number of methods to reduce speeding on the roads, and the use of the speed-gun or laser is but one.

Lasers are used on hotspots where speed has been identified as a problem, and rather than lurk indiscriminately, officers are assigned to a particular area at a particular time to mitigate the risks that speeding brings.

Mr Wilson is not aware of any plans to put in a fixed speed camera on Hillsborough Rd.

Are big trucks allowed to park on side streets for long periods of time? There are two trucks that park in Orb Ave, Manukau, that deprive employees at a nearby company of parking space during working hours. Jesse Gregorio, South Auckland.

Manukau City Council places no restriction on commercial vehicles parking in residential streets. A truck must, however, comply with road rules, which include the need to park in a legal manner on the road.

If the vehicle is of greater weight than 3500kg, it must display a red marker light on the back of the truck or trailer at night.