A warning for Wellington

Kate Hawkesby gives Auckland Transport a serve and issues Wellington with a warning.

So Wellington’s getting rid of roads and cars, and ideologically popping everyone onto public transport – in an ironically titled “Let’s get Wellington Moving” campaign. The irony being that Wellington’s usually at a standstill due to the buses not working or bus drivers striking.

Yep. Don’t blame the motorist.

[…] Auckland Transport, the council’s transport arm tasked with getting Auckland moving, has come in for endless criticism over its perceived culture of arrogance, its refusal to consult, its lack of communication and its overbearing plans to eliminate carparks.

[…] In the case of one Auckland supermarket carpark, which AT closed, it’s been proven there’s no safety issue, yet AT shut it down anyway – and seemed not that interested in what locals had to say about it.

Nevermind that businesses were suffering and bleeding customers, or that elderly and disabled people were inconvenienced by having to park further away from amenities, a large carpark was just shut, without adequate consultation or reasoning.

It shows the level of Auckland Transport’s arrogance that they aren’t capable of even considering the elderly and the disabled.

Likewise in the Eastern Suburbs of Auckland, AT caused an uproar among locals. Somehow it managed to “get everybody’s back up,” as one local put it, by proposing nine new pedestrian crossings and closing 34 carparks. The uproar has seen AT back away a little bit and offer to set up a working party with local residents. It’s trying to address criticism that it doesn’t listen.

[…] How can you believe closing carparks and making it harder for cars isn’t going to have a serious and damaging knock-on effect on local businesses? Or don’t they care about people’s livelihoods?

No, they don’t. Regular readers of the BFD will know that the BFD has the smartest and wisest commentators around and, as one knowledgeable BFD commentator put it, “Firstly, they want everyone in public transport and secondly, they need to make the roads safe because they and their families cycle at the weekends.”

[…] Yes, we need safer roads, but if Auckland can give Wellington any advice, let me say this. It’s not just about removing cars and carparks, adding pedestrian crossings and speed bumps, and slowing speed limits. Because, take it from Auckland, all of that hasn’t got us moving, it’s just eviscerated businesses and ground us all to a halt.

The blame can’t all be put at the feet of Auckland Transport. Blame must also be put on a mayor who has let a small band of ideologues ride roughshod with billions of dollars of ratepayers’ money. The good news is that it looks like time is running out for Auckland Transport. Already we have one mayoral candidate promising to sack the Auckland Transport board if he gets elected.

I hope you’re listening, Wellington.