Letters: Use rail more, roads less

A reader says passenger trains can alleviate SH2 congestion. Photo / File

Running from Apata through Omokoroa to Tauranga we have a congested and accident-prone state highway and an under used, freight only, railway.

One or two commuter trains in the morning and evening could remove hundreds of – one person only – cars from, not only SH2, but also from clogged up parking spaces around Tauranga city.

Reinstatement of the railway – at least as far as Katikati - could bring even greater congestion relief on the highway.

The threat of climate change demands that we reduce motor vehicle use (our greatest polluter).

The construction of more and more motorways – which soon fill up with more and more vehicles – is not the answer to transport problems. Rail transport is not only more efficient than road - and less polluting- but is even more so when electrified.

The location of the railway in Tauranga's Strand and close by bus terminal, adds even further to the suitability of increased use of rail for passenger services.

Similar rail passenger services from Paengaroa and Te Puke would give relief to the growing congestion on our harbour bridge.

The way to "fix the bloody road" is to use it less and our rail more.

Eddie Orsulich
Otumoetai

Better visibility needed

Driving from Tauranga to Omokoroa on a dark evening I found that the centre line orange flexible road markers were nearly impossible to see due to their covering of road grime and the considerable damage to their night time reflective tape.

Also most of them are located in poorly lit areas which would be made more visible with adequate lighting overhead.

A number of these skittles have been knocked off their bases due to their poor visibility.

As I was sandwiched between two large petrol tankers I met one skittle lying diagonally across the road in my lane so I had to take corrective action, which was fortunate that the petrol tankers were being driven carefully and considerately as it avoided the serious crash that was possible.

These skittles are now a serious road safety hazard.

I will not dwell on the fact that it took me one and a half hours to drive from Omokoroa to Bethlehem the other morning. Shocking.

Michael Galloway
Omokoroa