Group gathers to push ‘urgency’ of changes at NP intersection

Almost a month to the day since a Taranaki mother was seriously injured at a notorious intersection, the people who witness the most crashes there came together to call for change.

Nearby business owners, their staff and members of the community gathered at the intersection of Egmont Rd and State Highway 3, on the outskirts of New Plymouth, with signs in hand yesterday afternoon.

GJ Gardner co-director Rod Roebuck, who, alongside New Plymouth councillor Sam

Bennett started a petition calling for safety improvements at the intersection last year, said the point of the group coming together was to keep the need for changes at the ‘‘forefront of people’s minds’’.

Last month, Annika Rowson spoke about the crash that left her with a fractured pelvis, concussion and eight stitches in her eyebrow.

At the time, Waka Kotahi, the NZ Transport Agency, said it was looking to create an intersection speed zone by the end of the year, but Rowson said something needed to be done now.

Roebuck, who stood proudly at yesterday’s gathering of about 15 people, agreed.

‘‘I’d definitely like it to happen earlier,’’ he said.

‘‘We need more urgency. And we’re not going to go away’’.

Roebuck said police had been told there would be a gathering at the spot at 4.30pm. The time was chosen because the highway is usually congested by then.

Roebuck said the event wasn’t planned to ‘‘throw stones at anyone’’, but to push the point to Waka Kotahi-nz Transport Agency and the New Plymouth District Council.

‘‘We want to work with them to get a solution.’’

VANESSA LAURIE/ STUFF A protest took place on SH3 just outside New Plymouth in support of safer roads. There is a petition going to get the dangerous intersection on the corner of Egmont Rd and SH3 made safer.