Call for action on nightmare intersection

BELINDA FEEK | 1st June 2006

NEW ZEALAND'S leading motoring association is calling for action on one of Wanganui's worst intersections.

The NZ Automobile Association (AA) backs the Wanganui District Council's call to bring work on the intersection forward.

However, Transit says the project is still "a work in progress".

AA national executives were in town for the Wanganui AA Council's monthly meeting on Tuesday night.

A hot topic was the notorious SH3/Puktiki Rd/Wikitoria Rd intersection, which claimed the life of a Wanganui motorist two weeks ago and is the scene of a lot of near misses.

Yesterday morning, executives visited the hot spot to have a look for themselves.

Auckland-based national president Noel Vaughan said they would like to see Transit put the intersection's priority a bit further up its list of things to do.

The AA's national Safer Roads programme highlights projects that can be completed without spending a lot of money.

"This is the sort of example that exists around the countryside that is largely an accident waiting to happen, and something needs to be done about it to make motorists feel more comfortable," Mr Vaughan said.

Essentially, traffic needed to be slowed down, and Transit's roundabout option was a good one, he said.

AA chief executive Brian Gibbons, also of Auckland, said they would like to see the intersection get higher priority from Transit.

"If this can be made an easier road to negotiate it makes it more pleasant for drivers."

The roundabout was a cheap option.

"A quick fix, low cost, may well save lives."

Wanganui AA district manager Peter Boniface said motorists needed a visual reminder to slow down.

"With a roundabout, it has trees or shrubs on it. It's not just paint on the road."

Mr Vaughan believed Transit needed to be more flexible about its rules for speed limits.

"Transit have rules about speed limits? but when you've got a set of rules and apply them slavishly it doesn't work.

"This is a situation where your standard rules need a bit of commonsense."

He also believed traffic needed to be "a bit more thoughtful" when using the roundabout.

Yesterday, Transit New Zealand Wanganui regional manager Errol Christiansen said Transit did not set speed limits.

"We use the legislation provided to us by Land Transport New Zealand?

"Like many things we do, we have to follow the legislation of the day, and we do our very best to recognise any other circumstances?

"It's not a clinical application."

Transit consulted with agencies including police, the AA and the Wanganui District Council when it set speed limits, he said.

The intersection was "still a work in progress".

Wanganui District Council infrastructure committee chairman Don McGregor said the council sent a submission to Transit last month asking it to bring work forward on the intersection.

Cr McGregor said council would also like to see the area improved for heavy traffic, including trucks, so they didn't have to use the Dublin St Bridge.

PICTURED:AA New Zealand president Noel Vaughan, Wanganui AA district manager Peter Boniface and AA New Zealand chief executive Brian Gibbons check out Wanganui's notorious SH3/Putiki Rd/Wikitoria Rd intersection yesterday morning.