KEY POINTS:
Lane modifications causing traffic snarl-ups at one of New Zealand's most notorious roundabouts have provoked a cross-border scrap between two big-city mayors.
Auckland City Mayor Dick Hubbard is under siege from his Manukau counterpart, Sir Barry Curtis, for reduced traffic capacity on the Panmure roundabout.
A reduction from three to two lanes has caused morning traffic to bank up for almost two kilometres to the Pakuranga side of the Panmure Bridge, and worse is expected next week when tertiary students heading back to classes boost commuter volumes.
The Auckland City Council says the roundabout, fed by six roads, is the most dangerous in its network and was the scene of 207 crashes in the five years to the end of 2005.
Despite acknowledging that all but eight of those were minor scrapes in which nobody was injured, it says it was obliged by new Land Transport NZ regulations to mark out the roundabout so drivers would not have to change lanes half way around.
But Sir Barry said last night he had written to Mr Hubbard demanding that the roundabout be restored to its original configuration, to end the "mayhem" it was causing Manukau residents who had to travel to work in Auckland City.
"They need to consider reverting to what they had in the first instance - it was working well before," he told the Herald from Queensland.
"You need to bear in mind it is a very busy roundabout so it is inevitable that because of driver mistakes and inexperience you will get some scrapes."
Describing himself as "just an average driver", Sir Barry said he had made his way through the roundabout for many years without mishap.
He said he wrote to Mr Hubbard more than a week ago to complain that his staff were not consulted over the changes, even through Panmure is just over the border from Manukau City.
A spokeswoman for Mr Hubbard said he returned from a visit to Japan on Monday, and wanted to investigate Sir Barry's concerns before making any comment.
But Auckland City transport assets and operations group manager Don Munro said staff had consulted their Manukau counterparts about a month before the roundabout lane markings were changed at the end of January.
He said Auckland City would continue to work with Manukau on various options for improving capacity without compromising safety, but it needed to wait for traffic to peak next month before making any decisions. Mr Munro said his staff were looking at the "big picture" impact on traffic movements in a wide radius of the roundabout, including to what extent motorists may be choosing alternative routes.
A preliminary estimate suggested about 300 fewer vehicles were passing through the roundabout in the busiest hour of 7am to 8am each morning than a previous maximum of around 2000.
In a letter to the Herald responding to fierce criticism from Howick and Pakuranga commuters, city road safety manager Karen Hay said that traffic was flowing smoothly through the roundabout except during the morning peak period.
"We have received a number of positive responses from the public and New Zealand Police applauding improved driver clarity and safety, as well as easier navigation," she said.
Panmure Community Action Group spokesman Keith Sharp said that although his organisation was given little notice of the changes, he now felt safer on the roundabout, despite having to wait several minutes to get through it.
But Pakuranga resident Simon Miller said he had arranged to start work half an hour earlier, at 7.30am, to avoid the jams making life a misery for colleagues bound to more rigid hours.
Those trying to reach the roundabout after 7.30am often found traffic banked up right across the Panmure bridge, and reported dangerous driving by motorists desperate to get through it.
Limited relief will be offered from next week, when the Howick and Eastern bus company will double its services to every 15 minutes during morning and evening peak times on its Route 68 between Botany and central Auckland.
Although the buses will still have to queue at the roundabout, the company and the Auckland Regional Transport Authority hope the extra services will ease the problem by enticing more commuters out of their cars.
