Focus on vehicles of near future
Building more roads leads only to them becoming clogged. That is according to proponents of public transport eschewing the more rational descriptor “congested”.
Auckland roads are no more congested than those in countless other first-world cities. Auckland roads even at peak times enable door-to-door efficiency for business, and practicality for the public, unmatched by traditional forms of public transport.
The mantra “We must get people out of their cars” is irresponsible dogma if it would set us back to the inefficiencies of yesteryear.
A progressive strategy for Auckland would be to prepare infrastructure for the sunrise public transport technologies. Autonomous, cellphone-summoned, shared, electric road vehicles will offer Auckland a mode of public transport scalable to service every suburb.
Peter Webster, Beachlands. Anzac Day has passed for another year and rightly has been recognised for what it represents. But I think it timely and appropriate that we also acknowledge the massive contribution and sacrifices made by the forgotten men and officers of the Merchant Navy, who with great dedication and professionalism saved Britain from almost certain defeat in World War II.
Ships of the MN were unarmed but effectively in the front line, yet facing the same threats as their counterparts in military services. This dedication has never been properly recognised, then nor since: proportionately, the MN lost more personnel than any of the Allied military services, and some 5000 ships were sunk in the North Atlantic alone. Shamefully, those who served in the MN, including many Kiwis, are not invited to attend Anzac Day memorial services. Perhaps your readers can spare a moment to the memory of those brave sailors of the Merchant Navy that so hugely assisted eventual victory in World War II. Let us not forget them.
Phil Hickling, Papamoa Beach. When prime minister of the day Robert Muldoon allowed the 1981 Springbok tour to go ahead, I wasn’t sure if that was the right decision. After watching the advertisement on TV regarding the All Blacks/Black Ferns promoting the rainbow movement in rugby I now see it was the correct decision. There is no room for politics in sport of any sort. The sports teams represented are there to play sport pure and simple. It seems Muldoon was wiser than we gave him credit for.
Malcolm Hayward, Bucklands Beach. The recently released rugby-sponsored video called Diversity is Strength is supposed to target a devious and formidable enemy called discrimination. This self-refuting, contradictory battle cry is rather like a collapsed scrum when the front row props cave in. Apparently, diversity and inclusiveness do not extend to Israel Folau and many others who think like him; so much for freedom of speech!
Shane Kennedy, Wattle Downs. My wife and I returned home last night after over a week in the South Island. As we approached New Lynn I asked my wife if she thought that the road works in Great North Rd had been completed in our absence. She just laughed. We were more than a little surprised when we reached the Waikumete hill to find a hive of activity which seemed to be connected with the resurfacing of the road. We do not recall the surface of that part of Great North Rd to have been so much in need of repair that it should be done at night, and on Anzac Day, whereas the New Lynn repairs, which have been going on for over a year, do not apparently have the same degree of urgency and are a strictly Monday to Friday, daytime activity.
Greg Cave, Sunnyvale.