Move on traffic

Editor,

Councillor Kropp (KMN, August 14) points to a problem which has arisen because of the Porirua City Council’s promotion of the Transmission Gully motorway as the solution to Mana Esplanade traffic flows.

The council has taken every opportunity to frustrate improvements to the existing road in order to achieve early achievement of that solution. With the gully route consented, it is time for it to move on.

The completion of the gully route presently is programmed to be some 10 years away. Given the government’s shortage of money, the very low traffic growth rates in the Wellington region and the poor cost-benefit ratio of the gully route relative to other sections of the Highways of National Significance, availability of finance may postpone completion for more than 20 years.

Local improvements should be based on this pessimistic premise. It is time for the council to stop listening to the likes of the Paremata Residents’ Association and consider the good of its wider community and road users.

M J WILLIAMS, Tawa.