Car fire sparks phone concerns
The car that caught fire on Transmission Gully on Thursday shows the risks of not having complete cellphone coverage on that stretch of State Highway 1, said one motorist who witnessed the blaze.
‘‘Once you reach the top of that hill there’s actually no coverage at all. It’s so dangerous,’’ said Francess Olivia Carr, who drives over Transmission Gully several times a week from her home in taki.
‘‘Surely they can put some towers in there.
‘‘It’s been built for a long time, I don’t understand why nothing’s been done,’’ said Carr, who filmed the incident.
Transmission Gully officially opened in March.
As early as September 2021 concerns were being raised about blackspots in coverage along the motorway’s route.
At the time, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency spokesperson Andrew Thackwray confirmed sections of the motorway did not have mobile phone coverage.
Ventia, the subcontractor responsible for the operation and maintenance of the road, had been discussing the issue with emergency services for several months, Stuff reported.
Before the motorway opened Sergio Mejía, chief executive of Wellington Gateway Partnership, which held the Gully contract, said steps were being taken to boost radio and mobile signals.
‘‘New Zealand Police are looking to install an additional radio repeater along the route to strengthen their communications, and Waka Kotahi is discussing the possible future provision of coverage along Transmission Gully with mobile network operators,’’ he said last year.
On Friday, Andy Knackstedt, of Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, said the length and locations of blackspots varied according to the mobile operator.
The responsibility for providing mobile network coverage along the state highway network ultimately rested with providers, he said.
Ventia had full communication capability along the motorway using its radio network.
‘‘Transmission Gully has a radar system that detects incidents anywhere along the road and is monitored 24/7 by an operations team who will direct incident response assistance where necessary,’’ Knackstedt said.
The car caught fire on Thursday afternoon, just beyond the Wainui saddle ahead of the runaway vehicle lane.
Firefighters and police were called to the incident, but no-one was injured.
In early October a truck was reduced to a burnt-out shell after it caught fire on the motorway between Paekākāriki and Pāutahanui. No-one was injured.
Carr said she was concerned that the gradients on the motorway were causing vehicles to overheat.
‘‘I just don’t understand why it needed to be so steep. I need to get a run-up to 120kph before I hit it otherwise my car won’t make it up the hill. I can hear my car straining,’’ she said.
Knackstedt disputed the idea that Transmission Gully’s gradient was problematic.
‘‘The Wainui Saddle has a similar gradient to Ngauranga Gorge but the design of the road is very different.
‘‘Cars and trucks are able to get around the curves more easily, and at higher speeds,’’ he said.
Knackstedt said steeper sections of state highway could be found on SH1 Bombay Hills, SH2 Remutaka Hill, SH29 Kaimai Rd and ‘‘all of the South Island mountain passes’’.
Those sections of road ‘‘do not pose any problem for the current vehicle fleet’’, he said.
‘‘The Wainui Saddle has a similar gradient to Ngauranga Gorge but the design of the road is very different. Cars and trucks are able to get around the curves more easily, and at higher speeds.’’ Andy Knackstedt, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency