There is a post-script to the roadworks debacle of Friday week ago, in which traffic southbound of Whangarei was backed up for 22 kilometres, thanks to some untimely resealing.
Many motorists had damage to their vehicles, as a result of flying pieces of loose metal. I am unsure as towhether readers are fully aware of the full extent of damage caused.
We were in a vehicle driving northwards towards Whangarei. Even though traffic was, at best, very slow-moving, our car was constantly peppered by stones flicked up by other vehicles. It felt as if we were driving through "snipers' alley". In the end, inevitably, a larger stone broke our windscreen.
The stupidity of the decision to reseal this stretch of State Highway 1, on one of the busiest days in the year, made me wonder if it was a publicity exercise designed to promote the launch of the movie Dumb and Dumber 2.
As it was, the day before, travelling to Auckland, we encountered a half-hour delay for resealing just south of the Brynderwyns. While waiting I checked the NZTA website to find out more. There was no record there of any planned disruption. This was confirmed when I then phoned their 0800 number, although they did appreciate me informing them of the delays being experienced by motorists. Communication will go a long way to repairing not just the roads.
In the meantime, the repair of windscreens is the biggest game in town. Smith and Smith Glass in Whangarei informed me that demand is four times the norm and that staff from the Auckland division have been brought up to Whangarei in order for the company to better cope with the increased demand. As all room in the workshops is occupied, these additional staff work outside in the car park. The unprecedented demand for replacement windscreens has caused major delays. The earliest date I can get booked in for replacing the windscreen is some time in early February.
So, what lessons can be learned from this incident and its repercussions? Insincere, "buck-passing" apologies from representatives of NZTA just don't cut it. A mistake was made. We all make mistakes, but there is an expectation that an organisation will learn from them. In so doing, assurances should be provided to the community, showing that steps are in place to prevent further "epic fails" in traffic management.
Perhaps the Northern Advocate has a role to play through hard-hitting investigative journalism in ensuring that lessons have been learned by NZTA and, as a community, we learn to become smart and smarter?
