"Rather than pay for the flyers and the butlers, why not use that money to, at the very least, pay for some signs that warns pedestrians it's not a crossing. Most people would be positive about highlighting safe driving but confusing people with the courtesy crossings is asking for trouble."
Miss Taylor also questioned why there were two courtesy crossings within metres of each other on Bryce St. "It's hard enough to get past the one outside Guardian Trust but then you have to stop again outside Bed, Bath & Beyond. Someone will get bowled and it'll be the driver's fault."
The two crossings in Bryce St, either side of the Barton St intersection, were based on pedestrian requirements. The PostShop was operating in Bryce St in 2011 and was a major attractor for pedestrians, creating a demand for a crossing point on the east side of the intersection.
Council spokesman Simon Brandon said Barton St, through to Lido Cinema, restaurants and the entrance to CentrePlace on Bryce St, was well trod and the twin crossing design discouraged pedestrians from crossing the intersection diagonally, or jay walking.
Road safety co-ordinator Linda Hall said the problem with traditional pedestrian crossings was that because some pedestrians knew they had the right of way, they would sometimes "jump out, giving no thought to what evasive action a driver would have to take".
She said that was one of the reasons zebra crossings had begun to be seen as "not quite so safe for pedestrians".
Ms Pattison said many people drove through the areas faster than the 30km/h limit. She said the campaign was also a reminder to drivers that the crossings Pushing safe strategy
are in areas where they should be driving slower.
Ms Hall said council had conducted some education about courtesy crossings and "most people were clear the driver has the right of way. But a small percentage of drivers were taking that to an unsafe place ... saying 'I have the right of way, regardless of whether there are pedestrians on the road'.
"We wanted to add to the education. Let's look at how this works best and that's when everyone is aware of what's going on. The onus is on the driver and the pedestrian."
Ms Pattison said the campaign fitted with NZTA's Safer Journeys strategy that aims for a safe road system increasingly free of death and serious injury. "Safer Journeys is about safety from the whole perspective. In terms of the courtesy crossings, it's about people being more aware of their surroundings, whether they are pedestrians or drivers."
The butler campaign cost about $3530, 55 per cent of which was subsidised by NZTA.
Council staff said the problem with crossings with signals was that some people pushed the button without the intention of crossing, leaving drivers waiting while nobody crossed.