Letters: Does Auckland Transport have an anti-car agenda; advice for the wounded NZ Warriors

Are the Warriors guilty of buying into the early season hype? Photo / Photosport

Does AT have an anti-car agenda?

Having just recently driven along the newly-completed Meola Rd in Pt Chevalier, I was left wondering about Auckland Transport (AT) and their seemingly anti-car agenda.

I am unaware of any mission statement or announcement from AT about the end goal for all of the roading obstruction and road cone contagion.

However, the road has been narrowed by approximately five metres, all of the roadside parking has been removed and to ram the point home, none of the bus stops have a kerb inset. Meaning that when a bus stops, everyone driving behind the bus also stops, thus holding up traffic.

That last act should leave no one in any doubt as to what outcome the apparatchiks who work there actually want. Which is obviously for people to abandon their cars and use public transport and the new cycleway.

If only life was that simple. The time has come to name publicly the architects behind AT’s roading madness, because despite our mayor’s bluster, he has done little to rein in some of the more radical ideas of those who work for AT or their advisers.

A bit of scrutiny upon those who are behind this and other strange and expensive transport ideas may go a long way towards stopping it.

Martin Reid, Westmere.

Future of flying

The insightful comments by Simon Wilson on James Shaw’s “greener pastures“ was a fitting tribute to a man who has spent the last few years of his life trying to carry forward an ever-advancing civilisation by protecting the planet (NZ Herald, May 7).

Let’s hope that he can continue his efforts in the world of high finance as Simon suggests, and we continue to hear from him in the future. Simon makes the point that the company James is joining has invested in Wellington Airport and that aviation is the “most damaging transport industry on the planet“, and as such, he will have a massive task to shift its business focus.

However if he does succeed in this endeavour, it will have a significant effect on the future and he could change aviation. For example, we could put our expertise in America’s Cup building into the aviation industry and build the next generation of aircraft.

Aircraft engineers know that the next generation of planes will be large, oblique wings with enough capacity for many people (tourists) and they will be quite different from the current technology, with electric power or possibly a hydrogen-solar hybrid. We Kiwis have a great opportunity, will we take it?

Dennis Worley, Birkenhead.

Warriors’ woes

I can’t believe that the Warriors coach can’t see what is wrong with the team.

He has slow-motion replays and other data to help him. I am not an expert on league but even I can see a hole big enough to drive a truck through in the midfield defence - and all the teams have spotted it.

They also lack a backline sweeper and are easily outflanked. Then there is their tackling technique; they try to bear-wrestle rather than put the player on the ground. This takes extra players and leaves them a man down on defence.

Next there is their complete lack of attacking options: their backline is too flat, making it impossible to make quick, flat passes.

Then we have the superstar factor. A lot of the Warriors have been guilty of believing all the early season hype. League is a lot less complicated game than rugby.

Jock Mac Vicar, Hauraki.

Watered-down assets

Auckland Council - with all its assets - has maxed out its borrowings, otherwise there would be no problem funding Watercare’s needs.

So the new “solution” is to separate some of its best assets, the water infrastructure, into a separate entity so that more money can be borrowed against them, as they are good assets with a terrific (monopoly) income.

However, what happens with the council - which is now left with greatly reduced assets to secure its existing debt, which was already maxed out?

It does not add up.

Stephen Fleming, Mt Eden.

School starters

Correspondent Lorraine Kidd believes there is no excuse for children not being prepared to start school (NZ Herald, May 7).

I wonder if she sometimes leaves her pleasant suburb and wanders around other areas of the city, where children are living in damp, mouldy houses, not getting good food, are exposed to drugs, crime and poverty, with exhausted parents doing two or three jobs.

If we want all children to arrive at school knowing their colours, dressed nicely with a good packed lunch, we need to face reality. The answers are political, and the present Government is bent on making things worse, not better. I hope Ms Kidd is talking to her MP about this situation.

Susan Grimsdell, Auckland Central.