Push to drop rural road speed limit

A new proposal could see decisions on speed limits on Waikato rural roads left to a new regional body rather than individual councils.

The new entity would take the selfinterest out of these decisions and increase the pace of progress and ability for speed limits to be changed, Waikato Regional councillor and transport committee chairman Hugh Vercoe said.

District councils have had problems with consultation process on reducing speed limits on rural roads because the bulk of the submitters opposed any speed limit reductions in their area. The council gets ‘‘hammered’’ and it backs off, he said at the council’s December meeting.

‘‘Therefore the proposal is that it be governed by a body that takes the politics out of individual roads and asks, ‘what is the safe speed for this road?’’

Who will sit on that governing body was yet to be determined.

He said it was the committee’s view that the speed on rural roads in Waikato should be reduced from 100km/hour to 80-90km/ hr. Vercoe said there had also been ongoing frustration with the slow pace of progress and ability to change speed limits.

Cr Jennie Hayman said that changing the speed limit may not necessarily stop speeding drivers.

She said the issue was that people wanted others to slow down around their homes but retain the right to drive at speed around other people’s homes.

‘This earned a sharp rebuke from Vercoe: ‘‘The [transport] committee is sick of everybody defending what won’t happen and nothing happens. More people die on our roads and nobody does a damn thing. What the committee is now saying is that speed is one area that we can tackle. Enough is enough, we just want to make a start.’’

His stance was backed by Crs Kathy White and Russ Rimmington, who said road fatalities needed to be addressed and lowering speed limits around rural roads was a good place to start.

However Cr Dal Minogue said Hayman was making a good point and reducing the speed limit was, ‘‘like going to the United Nations and passing a motion for no more violence – everyone’s going to vote for it’’.