People are upset — and they have every right

I WAS one of the many who attended the Aurora meetings in Alexandra.

I take the strongest possible exception to the inference that the Alexandra meeting was unruly or worse.

The meeting was attended by mainly elderly or older folk, who like me are concerned that this natural monopoly and their shareholder are still not taking any responsibility for the appalling governance of this company shown over the years.

Yes, meeting attendees were and are upset at Central Otago people being used as a cash cow by Aurora.

Yes, they were upset at the Commerce Commission appearing to have been given predetermined

‘‘terms of reference’’.

Yes, they were disappointed no senior representative of Aurora — or the Dunedin Mayor, as owner/ shareholder — bothered to turn up and just listen.

I don’t recall offensive or bad behaviour being used but certainly feelings were running high — why shouldn’t they be?

Perhaps an expression of deep regret by the DCC and Aurora would have helped defuse the situation.

Does Aurora now believe the public should just continue to swallow the dead rats Aurora’s PR machine dishes out? I don’t think so.

Personally, I value the opinions of the three former employees mentioned in the article and thank them as whistle blowers and as men of courage to do so.

The Commerce Commission staff were professional in their handling of the meeting by allowing people to speak their minds — as they should.

Aurora is clearly trying to stagemanage this current situation by blaming the messengers who were, after all, invited to come along to this public meeting to express their views.

What did Aurora expect? Hymns of praise from so many who can’t afford its monopolistic pricing?

Aurora’s complaints should correctly be consigned to the shredder but not before issuing a genuine apology to the attendees of the Alexandra meeting. Gerrard Eckhoff

Alexandra

Cycle safety

ACC figures show, there were 38,371 claims for cycling injuries between July 2018 and June 2019. The cost was

$68 million.

If every bike and electric bike which used the road or footpath with pedestrians were fitted with a warning device such as a bell, costing a paltry $5 each, safety would be increased and claims could be greatly reduced.

Many older citizens remember the times when bells were fitted to all bikes. Why has it changed if it saves lives or injuries?

Most bikes now don’t have warning bells. Make them compulsory, please.

At present, pedestrians walking on footpaths are oblivious to bikes coming from behind them (unless they hear a bell) until they are given a very bad fright and/or berated by the cyclist.

To be passed at speed by the lycra boys doing 50kmh without any warning is commonplace and no joke. The two joint carriageways on both sides of the harbour are areas where this often occurs.

Don Nash

Normanby

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