Ask Phoebe: Signs retained for intersection safety

Road works sign. Photo / APN

Q. It must be a good two years since Lunn Ave in Mt Wellington was upgraded, including the installation of traffic lights at the Lunn Ave/Marua Rd/Harding Ave intersection. Along Lunn Ave in both directions shortly before the intersection there are signs - one being a traffic light diagram and the other telling us "new road layout". I only noticed them again the other day and thought "Didn't know they were changing things again" and sure enough they hadn't. Seems to me it's well past time these signs were removed. Eric Rawson, Auckland.

As you have probably noticed, Mr Rawson, the "new road layout" signs under the traffic signal sign on Lunn Ave, Marua Rd and Harding Ave have now been removed.

The advanced warning signs for the traffic signals will be retained on Lunn Ave and Marua Rd due to the road alignment which partially restricts motorists' line of sight of the signals.

Q. I enjoy using the bus stops with the electronic boards that tell you how long you have to wait until the next bus comes. There's a column on the far right-hand side where the number of minutes is displayed. I'd like to know why, in the evenings, that column isn't active.

Instead the board simply shows the time the bus is scheduled to arrive, eg 18.50. For me, the column with the number of minutes I have to wait is preferred. Why do the signs change in the evenings? Janice Marriott, Mt Eden.

There is a major exercise at the moment to put new GPS devices in all buses. When this is complete, early next year, the performance of the electronic display boards will improve markedly and they will operate for all services.

Northstar buses have just switched over to the new system and the improvement is significant.

Q. I finish work at 4pm and on my way home recently I noticed the 40km/h "school zone" signs were not only operating over the school holidays, they have not been adjusted for daylight saving. Am I obliged to adhere to the 40km/h limit at this time during the school holidays? As far as I know, we must obey all posted speed limit signs. Fred Jones, Te Atatu Peninsula.

As far as I'm aware, you are still obliged to keep to the 40km/h signs, even though the children are on holiday.

The 40km/h speed zone signs are installed by Auckland Transport (AT) and the local school signs a memorandum of understanding to operate the electronic signs at the correct times, including updating them for daylight saving and turning them off over school holidays. Obviously, some schools have failed to do this. In that case, people should contact the AT call centre and let staff know. They will then sort it out with the school.

•The location information I gave last week for Enviroreel recycling company was out of date. They are now at 27C Cain Rd, Penrose, phone (09) 580-0285.