Video shows prisoner van door open on Auckland’s Southern Motorway

A Corrections van was travelling along one of Auckland's motorways with its back door open.

A prison escort vehicle has been caught on video driving along an Auckland motorway with its back doors open.

The truck can be seen driving at speed towards Pakuranga with the back door open, exposing the closed cell doors inside the vehicle,

The video of the incident circulating online was originally posted on July 24 with the caption: “Meanwhile on the southern motorway, Labour’s new holistic approach to transporting prisoners.”

Department of Corrections chief custodial officer Neil Beales confirmed the incident and said no prisoners were in the vehicle at the time.

“We are aware of this incident in Auckland last month, where the back door of a First Security prisoner escort vehicle opened while the vehicle was moving.

“There were no prisoners in the vehicle at the time and [there was] no risk to public safety.”

Beales said the vehicle has been taken off the road for repairs to the door.

“The back doors of these vehicles are alarmed so staff are immediately notified whenever there is any malfunction or other issue.”

Beales said when prisoners are transported in these vehicles, they are securely confined in their own compartments, which are not impacted issues with the external door.

Three prisoners triggered a manhunt in February after they escaped a prison van in Auckland while being transported to Mt Eden Corrections Facility on the Southern Motorway.

The trio fled on foot from the transport van before stealing a vehicle from a member of the public. All offenders were eventually caught and taken into custody.