Piha resident - 'It will take a fatal accident to get anything done'

Auckland Councillor Linda Cooper urges Piha residents to have their say on a hazardous intersection in response to the Regional Land Transport Plan.

Since 2015, local residents have called for Auckland Transport (AT) to assess the Piha Road and Scenic Drive intersection.

The markings on the road make it unclear which lane is appropriate to drive in, causing several head on collisions.

AT media relations manager Mark Hannan says changes would require significant roadworks and vegetation removal.

Ms Cooper says, “There is significant funding earmarked for safety improvements in the Regional Land Transport Plan. I need your help to get this project high up on the list.”

She says it is important for locals to get involved with the consultation because it was the appropriate channel to enable action from AT.

“This money that’s covered by rates or taxes […] is all from our communities, so they should have a say in what it’s spent on.”

“You cannot run a huge council just by responding adhock to protests and newspaper articles, you have to do a proper process,” says Ms Cooper.

Piha resident Alex Shields says he hopes the consultation process means the community will get some real answers from AT.

“Many people have been complaining about the corner for years and this gives them the opportunity to voice their concerns officially. I think at least through this process AT will have to provide us with some form of response,” says Mr Shields.

Locals have already started to take action into their own hands by placing cones on the road, so motorists avoid driving in the wrong lane.

Resident Mark Scott says after the recent action from locals, AT had placed their own markers out, but they are still confusing drivers.

Resident Sheila De Wit says, “It will take a fatal accident to get anything done.”

Ms Cooper says despite recent action from the Piha community, AT transport should not give first priority to this particular intersection.

“If you just do everything that the loudest people say, what happens is other projects which might have equal importance to another community who are not as loud, might get knocked out of the way for the loud people,” says Ms Cooper.

She says the consultation process for the Regional Land Transport Plan was about “equity across the region”.

Online feedback for the future of Auckland’s transport can be made on Auckland Council’s website and will end May 14.