Vale, light rail
Light rail is dead. Let's bury it. Tearing up main city streets for 10 years or longer will aggravate congestion and produce few benefits. No one seems to know if it is supposed to service the airport or the suburbs. If it tries to do both, journey times will be double that of the existing buses.
Let's get on with double-tracking and electrifying the railway from Pokeno to Huapai, adding a third line from the city to Manukau with maybe a spur to the airport (mainly for freight, not for passengers) and possibly a line following SH20. Decentralisation is the way to reduce congestion.
Company bosses like to hog the city waterfront but Fonterra should be in Hamilton or Matamata. More government departments and insurance companies could be in South or West Auckland. We need to reduce the need for journeys.
Bob van Ruyssevelt, Glendene.
About turns
John Duder (NZ Herald, September 21) is not entirely correct in his assumption that drivers are the problem in road crashes. Most of our roads are goat tracks, winding and narrow.
There has been much investment in dual carriageways in recent decades, all are straight, flat and have safety barriers; accidents, most importantly fatal ones, are rare.
It is the battle of the political parties that determine how safe our roads will be.
Labour does not promote this type of investment, rather, they would prefer we cycle everywhere or take the bus.
National on the other hand sees the benefit in safe and efficient roads, State Highway 1 north of Cambridge is a testament to that vision.
While we have this political dilemma about what is best, we will continue to flounder in safe roading investment.
John Ford, Taradale.
Driven to recklessness
Well said, John Duder of Devonport (NZ Herald, September 21) regarding the cause of car crashes. We must all take blame for our actions, and drive to whatever conditions are relevant at the time.
The same can be said for Covid violations. Every time there is an escape, violation or infringement of the rules governing MIQ etc, the Government or the facility are classed as being shambolic.
Sadly, this is not the case. We are at the mercy of the few morons who insist that these rules don't apply to them, and put the whole of Auckland and the rest of the country at huge risk because of their selfish actions.
I really hope that the courts treat these acts as extremely serious. The police have done their job and stopped and caught these people…..now it is up to the courts to do their part. I don't like sitting at home either.
Trish Heikoop, Pakuranga.
Spoonful of medicine
It was so lovely to see the article (NZ Herald, September 21) about the Spoonville in Te Atatū. I know how fun Spoonvilles can be, as I set one up in Sandringham in the Auckland August lockdown last year, and it grew to over 100 spoons, including a Miss Sandringham, Batman and Robin and a local DJ.
There is a website for Spoonvilles internationally if anyone wants advice on how to set up a Spoonville or to see where they are around the world.
This lockdown, as it is Level 4, I decided to cross the Teddy Bear Hunt with the Spoonville and create the Sandringham Spoonie Search. Our local community is decorating and putting spoons in their front gardens, front windows, berms and local parks for children to find on their daily walks.
Spoonvilles are a great creative placemaking activity, and it is often the little things like this that add that a bit of fun we all need to the days of lockdown. I encourage others to take part and create their own Spoonville for their neighbours to add to and enjoy.
Joanne Harland, Sandringham.
Farce food
Our health authorities must be frustrated to see the way we Kiwis rush to the fast food outlets the minute they open after lockdown.
No wonder New Zealand is one of the fattest countries in the world.
W Hart, Kohimarama.
American foibles
I share Rob Elliot's nostalgia and interest (NZ Herald, September 21) in American culture and politics.
I am not qualified to comment on the assessment of the President's mental capacity – however, Joe Biden's greatest achievement so far is to remove his predecessor from the world stage – at least for three more years.
Far more of a concern on the US political front is Trump-inspired voter-suppression laws passed in Republican States since the 2020 election. This, and the apparent GOP tactic of challenging any election result where they are not successful is far more worrying than the odd occasion that an Australian premier's name is forgotten.
Mike O'Connor, Three Kings.
Good shot
In reply to F Congdon (NZ Herald, September 21), I have to say that I find the bus slogan "Shot Bro" very clever, catchy and designed for a special group of people to promote the covid vaccination.
On the contrary, our education has not failed us but instead taught us to be smarter in marketing a product with the ability to laugh at ourselves.
Rob Denton, Snells Beach.
Brutal times
As both a citizen of Aotearoa and of the Netherlands, I fully agree with John Tamihere's claim (NZ Herald, September 20) that this country should be called Aotearoa. It is a far more authentic name than what we've got as a result of Tasman's visit.
Sadly, Tamihere is also correct about the racism and the brutality of the colonial Dutch. At the same time, I need to point out that they were no worse than the racism and brutality of the British. It is interesting that the NZ Land Wars took place in the same century as my South African cousins, the Boers or Afrikaners, fought wars for freedom from their British oppressors.
Rinny Westra, Birkenhead.
Speak up
My wife and I do the Herald quiz every morning. We average about 5/10. My wife read the questions this morning (NZ Herald, September 22) and for the last question our conversation went like this:
My wife: "Sports film 'Rush' focuses on the rivalry between James Hunt and what other driver?"
Me: "Lauda"
My wife: "SPORTS FILM 'RUSH' FOCUSES ON THE RIVALRY BETWEEN JAMES HUNT AND WHAT OTHER DRIVER?"
Me: "Lauda"
My wife (deep breath, yells): "THE... " etc
It's unkind to set up pensioners like that.
Peter Lange, Mt Eden.
Short & sweet
On lockdowns
Now the Government is leveraging on our vaccination percentages for when they will relieve levels. What a horrible controlling farce this whole thing is becoming. Glenn Forsyth, Taupō.
Rhetorical thought experiment: If this Covid outbreak had happened in, say, Dunedin, would Auckland still be at Alert Level 2? Paul Hamilton, Dunedin.
On KFC
Are the same people who won't get the vaccine because they "don't know what's in it" the same people queuing for the secret 11 herbs and spices? Huw Dann, Mt Eden.
The gang members' failed attempt to get a decent-sized meal of KFC into Auckland, along with $100k, would have been tremendous fodder for the late, great Billy T James. Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth.
On vaccine
So, after one of the world's worst vaccine rollouts, the PM is now holding Auckland to ransom to get 90 per cent vaccinated in two weeks. Wendy Tighe-Umbers, Parnell.
On Shaw
I have no problem what so ever with James Shaw going to Glasgow. I am however, extremely worried, that he might want to come back. Philip Lenton, Somerville.
On te reo
Come on, John Marcon ( NZ Herald, September 21). I have fond memories of Tekawota. Barbara Graham, Tokoroa.
The Premium Debate
18,500 extra MIQ rooms
The limitation is your workforce. Specifically nurses, NZDF, NZPOL, security staff. Hotel capacity has never been an issue. Increasing capacity by 250 per cent as suggested is simply not possible without having significant negative impacts on the service providers supplying the required staff ... MIQ should reduced and a home isolation solution be introduced ASAP. David S.
Fix the problem easily and cheaply by allowing anyone who is double vaccinated and has their own home to self-isolate at home. If necessary employ ankle bracelets to monitor people's movement like Singapore does. If they don't want to wear one they can opt for the MIQ, but 90% would. We are currently stuck in MIQ ... and would happily isolate at home with ankle bracelets and supermarket deliveries. Steve S.
We need to seriously consider home isolation as an alternative to allow more people back in. Why not allow pre vaccinated and tested people home isolation with ankle bracelets for them and their nominated household contacts for 14 days? It's inconvenient, but plenty would do it and also meet whatever the nominal cost of bracelets and monitoring ends up being. Jason G.
Who says that we need to use all available hotel rooms at the cost of the NZ taxpayer? The hotel industry? The process of access to MIQ should be a more considered one, on a case-by-case basis rather than using a website and random selection. Yes the computer method costs less than employing staff, but the latter method may allow a fairer distribution of beds based on urgency and circumstance. Tame R.
Who is paying for these hotels to have the ventilation, etc, to be sorted to the required standards, the hotels or the taxpayer? Bet if it's the taxpayer the hotels are not going to give us a discount when the hotel is no longer required for MIQ. Kevin J.
It is interesting that from everything I have seen on social media, everyone who has said the new lobby system is a joke also has two computers open trying to get a space, thereby doubling the numbers in the queue. I wonder what the numbers trying to book will look like after a couple of rounds of the lobby system. Renee M.
Be interesting to see if the government started charging every person returning for MIQ if this would reduce the number of returnees. The charge to be paid when purchasing your airline ticket. We then wouldn't have the problem of chasing up the people that haven't paid. Australia charges everyone for MIQ. Michael E.
People returning who are already double vaccinated are much lower risk and do not need the same level of security. We need some fast-track low-security shorter stay MIQ facilities for people who are fully vaccinated. That would free up space in the higher security MIQs and get the queue moving faster. Sue J.
How about if you've used the MIQ once then you don't qualify to book again until all the others that haven't yet used it have a chance? And to solve the problem of those that haven't paid, of which there are many, charge those coming in for a visit, not moving home upfront before they are allowed to make a booking? Steve W.
Reduce, don't increase the number of rooms available and thus reduce the risk of Covid breaching our border. At least until we reach more than 90 per cent vaccination. Then open the borders and remove the need for MIQ. John G.
