Labour's plan for lower speed limits would see hundreds of urban roads slowed to 30km/h. Photo / Dean Purcell
Labour's plan for lower speed limits would see hundreds of urban roads slowed to 30km/h. Photo / Dean Purcell
National is promising to scrap the Government’s attempts to lower speed limits just as Auckland Transport plans its biggest rollout of 30km/h and other lower speeds across the city.
Transport spokesman Simeon Brown said National will repeal the new Government-imposed speed limit rule that AT is using to lower speeds on a quarter of the 7600km network of arterial and local roads.
The proposed plan focuses on lower speeds around 358 schools, but will also see hundreds of urban roads slowed to 30km/h and rural roads to 60km/h.
Brown said National supports variable speed limits outside schools during drop-off and pick-up times but opposes blanket speed limit reduction, which simply slows people down at all hours of day and night.
The latest plan focuses on lowering speeds around schools.
“Chris Hipkins might have chucked slower speed limits for state highways on the policy bonfire earlier this year, but Labour has not shied away from slowing down local roads,” Brown said.
He said National - that polls show could be in office before AT finalises the latest round of lower speeds - would also increase public consultation requirements for speed limit changes and ensure there is a robust cost-benefit analysis.
The latest rollout of lower speeds by AT is the fourth round as part of a road safety plan adopted by the transport agency called Vision Zero where not one death is acceptable.
The last rollout came into effect between December 2022 and March this year and covered 19 per cent of the road network on about 980 roads and near 70 schools at a cost of $33 million.
National transport spokesman Simeon Brown. Photo / Alex Cairns
The AT board and management have embraced a lower speed programme for several years now, with chief executive Dean Kimpton saying the organisation is determined that people should not be harmed as they move around Auckland.
With the latest round of changes out for public consultation, Kimpton said speed management is something a lot of people are passionate about, and urged people to have their say.
“Aucklanders have long told us that they want their kids to feel safe getting to and from school, so this is a real focus of the plan,” he said.
Speed is the cause of many deaths and serious injuries on the roads. Photo / Hayden Woodward
Dr Michael Hale, the northern region’s medical office of health, said currently Auckland’s roads are too dangerous, with 12 people having a death or serious injury from a motor vehicle accident every week.
“This is shocking because it is so preventable,” he said.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand regional manager Ron Devlin said as the first responder, Fenz often sees first-hand the terrible effects of speed on the roads.
He said Fenz is pleased to support AT’s speed management plan and its vision to reduce harm and make the roads safe to walk, bike, or drive.
Bernard Orsman is an Auckland-based reporter who has been covering local government and transport since 1998. He joined the Herald in 1990 and worked in the parliamentary press gallery for six years.
