Maureen Pugh: Labour government has roading focus all wrong

National List MP Maureen Pugh compares blanket speed reductions with the condition of our roads.

I’d like to think most rural folk drive to the conditions.

The thing is, the last few years have seen a lack of maintenance that has left our roads in terrible condition. Add severe weather events to this and the results are roads of unacceptable, even dangerous, quality. National has put the spotlight on potholes to make the point to the Government that some serious maintenance is urgently needed.

Labour’s response was to impose ‘blanket’ speed restrictions on all manner of roads, both highways and in townships. I am very concerned that local councils have to undertake expensive consultation on reducing speed limits on local roads. In short, this Government put in place regulations requiring every council across the country to reduce some suburban roads to 30 km/hr and most open highways to 80 km/hr.

While the Prime Minister claimed earlier this year that he was putting the Transport Minister’s blanket speed limit reductions on the ‘policy bonfire’, speed limits will continue to decrease under existing regulations, and this gives very little room for local councils to actually take note of their community’s feedback.

I believe people are wiser than this and Labour is treating Kiwis like fools by saying one thing, but doing another. In practical terms people have places to go and work to do – for example a 10% speed reduction on a freight truck adds another 10% to journey time. In isolated areas this often means drivers could run out of hours and have to park up before they can complete their deliveries. Besides the frustration involved, this ultimately adds cost to the goods carried, which the consumer must ultimately pay for.

Labour must stop forcing councils into long and costly consultations on speed reductions where they make no sense. National opposes blanket speed limit reductions and we will put a stop to Labour’s restrictions on both state highways and local suburban roads whilst retaining variable speed limit reductions around schools during pick-up and drop-off times.  In short, National will do away with all speed limit reductions where it is safe to do so.

Roading has become a major source of feedback to MPs this year. People are sick and tired of the focus on blanket speed reductions and speed bumps rather than fixing potholes and maintaining and upgrading roads to a consistently safe standard.