Ask Phoebe: Up to council to cut back foliage hiding bus stop sign

Photo / APN

Do you know who is supposed to look after overhanging tree branches that essentially obliterate any sight of bus-stop signs? Is it the homeowner on whose berm the tree resides or is it the council, or do the bus companies do something about it? There is one, for example, on Sylvan Ave, Northcote. Unless you know the bus-stop sign is there, you wouldn't see it until you were right on top of it as the tree branches cover it up except for the bottom third of the wooden pole. The bus drivers almost always miss the stop, even though you've pressed the buzzer.
Michelle Brown, Northcote.

Trees on a berm are the responsibility of the council, not the homeowner nearby. Either the council or the bus company should take care of this.

I read the query from a man saying he had been stopped by the police for not wearing his seat belt properly. He explained that he couldn't as he had had chest surgery.

I have recently had a bilateral mastectomy and don't find any problem because I wear a padded sheepskin cover for the belt which I bought in Bunnings in Perth (West Australia) but would love to know where to obtain them in NZ and so would many women I feel in our situation. Please help.
Marianne Stevens, Takapuna.

Most of the car-accessory places have them, and you can buy them online at shopnewzealand.co.nz

Perhaps you can discover why there is a stop sign attached to a traffic light pole at the intersection of Federal St and Victoria St next to the Sky Tower. In this situation does it mean that motorists on Federal St are required to apply the stop sign rules when the green traffic light is on? Or, because there are no yellow lines on the road, is this set up in case the lights are turned off?
Dan Richards, Glendowie.

I went for a look, Mr Richards, but found no indication of a stop sign there, apart from the traffic lights. Perhaps it has been removed in the interval between you asking question and my reply, for which delay I apologise.

I had an incident at Auckland domestic airport in which a passenger in a car opened a door into my car as I drove past. My car was travelling slowly between two rows of parked cars at the Jetstar drop off/pick up area outside the terminal.

Could you please tell me if the same road rules apply here, ie, people must show "duty and care before opening car doors"?
Stephen O'Brien, Auckland.

Auckland Airport corporate affairs manager Richard Llewellyn says that although the roads in question are owned by Auckland Airport and operate under its bylaws, in terms of any question regarding "duty of care" between drivers, airport authorities would expect the insurance companies involved would still apply their usual rules to determine fault.