Council bans street use
In New Zealand, the right to come and go from your home as you please is a given.
That’s mostly the case in Christchurch’s Twigger St – except on Saturday nights when Super Rugby matches are on at the adjoining AMI Stadium.
For about six hours on each rugby night, Christchurch City Council-owned contractor City Care does not allow residents free entry and exit to the main road, Lincoln Rd.
City Care has given residents one ‘‘access card’’ per house, but they can only use it to get to Wrights Rd, which is in the opposite direction and directly competes with stadium traffic.
It also prevents family and friends from visiting.
Jason Smith is concerned about his brother Tony, who lives on Twigger St. Tony, who suffers from leukemia and lung cancer, was too ill to speak to The Press this week. He needs regular access to medical facilities.
‘‘My brother is not even 100 metres from the intersection – they won’t even let them in or out. ‘‘They let the horses, the police, taxis and other cars in and out through there [for the games]. ’’
Of particular concern was that no-one could visit his brother while the street was blocked.
Smith works in traffic management and said it would be easy to compensate for residents in the street. ‘‘They can put it down to one lane, it’s not hard.’’
He said City Care was nonresponsive and had cancelled meetings with residents three times. ‘‘They fob you off. We’ve asked to see the traffic management plan and no-one will show them. I can see it escalating to a point that something’s going to happen.’’
Twigger St residents Paul and Linda Burnell said while they were not allowed to enter or exit the street when rugby matches were on, VIPs, taxis, buses and Twigger St residents Paul and Linda Burnell other vehicles were allowed to pass through the cordon.
‘‘Stick your traffic management plan where the sun don’t shine. It’s just bureaucracy gone wrong,’’ Paul Burnell said.
‘‘We’ve got 19 grandkids between us and there are lots of them coming and going and visiting all the time, except Saturday nights when rugby’s on because they can’t get in and out.’’
The Burnells said they enjoyed the crowds on game days.
‘‘It’s not as if that is bothering us at all. It doesn’t intrude on our life at all,’’ Paul Burnell said.
Bigger events like concerts and the annual Cup Day at Addington Raceway did not have the same traffic restrictions.
‘‘The recent Killers concert was awesome, there was no traffic management in place. ‘‘The traffic flowed, lots and lots of pedestrians – a hell of a lot more than there will ever be for a rugby game here and there was no problem whatsoever,’’ Paul said.
The council was unable to comment by the print deadline.