Because members of the Karikari community had voiced their concerns regarding safety issues at the intersection of Inland Road, State Highway 10, two representatives of NZTA were invited to attend the Te Hiku Community Board meeting held at the Karikari CommunityHall on May 9 last year. At the meeting the chairman of the Residents' and Ratepayers' Association and myself spoke of our concerns regarding the safety at the intersection.
The need to improve safety was also endorsed by the bus company carrying the school children, and Mr Murray Harrison, who runs the hospital bus. There had been several incidents where school buses had nearly been rear-ended.
Mr B Rainsford (NZTA) agreed that there was justification for a deceleration lane, and would work with FNDC staff to see how problems could be solved.
Planning and design of the deceleration lane was done by NZTA. Surely the safety issue concerning bus-loads of school children has a greater priority than a few inconvenienced people who were using the area as a carpark.
