In the eyes of the writer - cyclists are aggressive. What he doesn't see is time after time how distracted or simply rude auto drivers put our life and limb in danger.
There is no safety belt, airbag, or repair insurance to cover our potential hospitalisation or death. When I drive my ute I get respect. When I drive my bike on busy streets - I am a small fish in a bloody shark tank.
Council needs to prioritise bike lanes removed from autos, or consider trebling the penalty for drivers who hit cyclists. It is a matter of "blood on the road" and the multiple community costs that occur when our healthy transportation is discouraged by lack of infrastructure or the mindset of those who will not share the road safely.
Frank Gardner
Tauranga
Not the road
In response to July 12 article on the SH36 crash, it cannot be said enough that loss of life on our roads is always tragic, and as an emergency services worker, I see the carnage first hand and up close. Over the last 32 years, I have seen many road deaths caused by a variety of reasons but very rarely is it the road's fault.
In those years, our roads have improved, our cars have improved. How about drivers taking responsibility for not driving to the conditions or being guilty of inattention.
That recent head-on crash between car and truck was at 3.30am so there wasn't much traffic around at all.
Let's not be so quick to blame the road and sidestep the real and most common reasons that clearly point fingers at driver errors 99 per cent of the time. And when any vehicle crosses onto the wrong side of the road, it is never going to end well.
M. Quaife
Tauranga
I keep hearing that the government has no more money to offer our wonderful nurses.
The District Health Boards already have this money within their funding. What we need are some CEOs with the moral conviction to see that these funds are distributed fairly within their organisations. I was told while at Tauranga Hospital that there was one manager/supervisor/team leader for every 2.4 patients.
What a terrible ratio. Too many chiefs, not enough Indians. Time to rein in the fat cats and million dollar surgeons and give more to those at the coal face.
Nurses, midwives, healthcare assistants, orderlies, security, cleaners, I truly hope you get what you deserve. You're the people that make the hospitals click.
Andrew Lattimore
Mount Maunganui
Loan frightening
A $158 million interest-free loan of 10 years, from the Government how scary is that? Do you trust our council knowing their track record to spend this money - where it supposed to be spent?
We wouldn't even need that for the infrastructure if the council had already done the spending where it was needed for all these years in the first place.
So here's to a massive rates rise in 10 years' time.
Janet Drake
Tauranga
