Black spot issues on Napier-Taupo¯ Rd

With 3000 cars a day using the Napier-Taupo¯ Rd, drivers and commuters are calling for better cellphone reception.

The road (State Highway 5) has pockets of no reception from telecommunications companies Spark, Vodafone and 2degrees.

The owner of the Rangitaiki Tavern, Tara Campbell Pickering, said that apart from the past month, the road was usually ‘‘really busy’’.

‘‘We continuously get people who have broken down or run out of petrol, all sorts of things. They can’t ring anyone, so either sit there and wait for someone to offer them some help, or they get brought down to us.’’

Tarawera Tavern owner Jim Andrew said he’d seen many accidents in the area during the years, with people ‘‘racing back’’ to use his phone as they couldn’t get cellphone coverage.

‘‘We get Vodafone and 2degrees, but no Spark.’’

Within the past year Andrew estimated more than 10 people had come to the tavern asking to use his phone due to a road accident or a vehicle breakdown.

Vodafone said the area had been identified as a potential candidate for the joint government and industry programme, Rural Broadband Initiative phase two.

A Spark spokesperson said the Rural Connectivity Group (RCG) had been appointed as the infrastructure provider which will build more than 450 new cellular towers throughout rural New Zealand.

RCG is a joint venture between Spark, Vodafone and 2degrees.

Crown Infrastructure Partners who partnered with RCG and manage the Mobile Black Spot Fund said the Napier-Taupo¯ Road was ‘‘a difficult area to get coverage to’’.

‘‘However, there are plans being worked through currently to find a solution for the area. We hope to have more clarity on this in the coming months.’’