Council workers’ 150kmh jaunt
Taupo District Council staffers avoided the cops at 150kmh but the boss still caught up with two leadfooted public servants. Jo LinesMacKenzie reports.
The need for speed has seen two council workers caught doing more than 150kmh in fleet cars.
Others have hit the high 130s to mid 140s, all in work vehicles. But technology caught them out – not the cops. The speeds were recorded by a GPS function in the car, which only records speeds over 100kmh.
But the speedsters won’t be charged, since only police can do speed recording that will stand up in court. However, the lead-footed workers got a talking-to.
Taupo¯ District Council chief executive Gareth Green declined to say if the staff were still employed by the council or what sanction was imposed.
Figures released under the Official Information Act show that on Tuesday, March 15, 2016, at
2.33pm, a Taupo¯ District Council vehicle was recorded doing
151kmh on State Highway 1 at Hatepe. Another vehicle was recorded doing 151kmh on Tuesday, August 9, 2016, at 3.21pm on the East Taupo Arterial at Wairakei. Green said that the council’s vehicle user policy required staff to follow the road rules.
‘‘There is never a justification for a speed of that [151kmh] in my opinion and with council’s role as a road safety authority, then it is absolutely disappointing in itself, it’s dangerous and it’s uncalled for.’’
Green admitted that there is some leeway in the speed threshold if drivers were passing and if they briefly went over the limit.
‘‘I can’t put an exact number on it, but clearly 150kmh is not tolerable and, clearly, if it was more around 105kmh or 103kmh, then I would be having quite a different conversation with you.
My role isn’t around enforcement of the road rules, that is the police’s role.
CEO Gareth Green
Green did not take the figures to the police.
‘‘Police have to clock you on their own gear. And my role isn’t around enforcement of the road rules, that is the police’s role. But my role as an employer and as someone involved in road safety is to ensure the culture for my employees is that they follow the road rules to the letter, and that is done on an employment basis.’’
Taupo¯ District Council fleet vehicles were also clocked at 145kmh on December 28 and in January, another vehicle was recorded doing 139km.
A police spokeswoman said that if someone were caught by police at 151kmh, they could have their vehicle impounded for 28 days.
They could be charged with dangerous driving under the Land Transport Act 1998, which could carry a penalty of a minimum of driver-licence disqualification of six months, a maximum fine of $4500 and maximum imprisonment of three months. Police also verified that speed enforcement action cannot be taken by police based on in-car GPS readings.
Solicitor Hayley Bould of Hamilton law firm Gurnell Harrison Law Ltd said a case in 2014 where the Employment Authority found that an employee’s speeding in excess of 25kmh may so deeply impair an employer’s trust and confidence that it would amount to serious misconduct.
‘‘The employer would still need to follow a fair disciplinary procedure before dismissing the employee,’’ Bould said.
Waipa¯ , Waitomo, Hauraki and Thames-Coromandel District Councils had all recorded speeding in their vehicles, but not to the level of Taupo¯ ’s.
Hamilton City Council and Matamata-Piako District Council both requested payment to collate the figures.