Fatal crash on road locals warned of for decades
A local board member has criticised inadequate road safety measures on the stretch of road that claimed a life in Meadowbank.
A man in his late 20s died after his car slammed into a bus on Gowing Drive about 11.30am on Saturday.
Police say it appeared he had been speeding and crossed the centre line on a blind corner.
Nine people were injured in the crash, including five children.
O¯ra¯kei Local Board’s Carmel Claridge told Newstalk ZB the crash was even more tragic in the face of local efforts to get safety improvements on the road.
“Speeding has been an issue for the residents of Gowing Drive, and immediate neighbours, for decades,” she said. “This is something that won’t come as a huge surprise to the local community, unfortunately.”
The road was steep in parts and had blind corners, Claridge said.
“Combine those factors with excessive speed and you have really got a recipe for disaster, and unfortunately disaster did strike.”
Introducing speed bumps would be problematic, because it was a bus route, but there were a range of options Auckland Transport could use to reduce the speed, Claridge said.
An AT spokeswoman told Newstalk ZB it would soon consult on a speed management bylaw which, once approved, would enable a drop in speed limits in certain areas.
Slower limits would be introduced first in high-risk areas and town centres, including the city centre, Mission Bay and St Heliers centres.
“As part of our assessment for safe speeds, we have investigated all residential suburbs, including Meadowbank, for speed management and the areas have been ranked to ensure we address the areas of greatest risk first.
“While Meadowbank is not in the programme for this financial year, we appreciate the feedback from residents and their desire to see safer speeds in their neighbourhoods.”