Commuters find driving easier

Herald car commuters agree there has been one big change on Auckland motorways in the past six months - traffic jams are far less common.

Six months ago the Herald spoke to four Aucklanders who drove cars to their central city jobs each day. They spoke of the teeth-grinding stress of city gridlocks, interminable delays and 20-minute queues at on-ramps.

But things are much better now, they say, possibly because rocketing petrol prices have forced other motorists on to public transport.

Inspector Alex Robinson said he had noticed a huge drop in the number of vehicles during his 55km journeys from Pukekohe to Auckland central police station.

Back in March, he often arrived at work stressed from his morning motoring.

"I used to stop quite regularly with nose-to-tail vehicles and huge traffic jams," he said. "Now it's nothing like that - it's been so pleasurable to drive."

Mr Robinson said he had actually slowed down while driving in open stretches because he was so conscious of fuel consumption, and was still getting to work quicker.

However, like the other Herald commuters, he was still loath to use public transport such as the Hamilton-Auckland train.

The problem was that the trains ran at irregular times that did not suit his work hours.

Penrose woman Margaret Stephens has been grappling with growing traffic snarl-ups for 10 years, with her daily 26km trips to the city taking an average of nearly an hour. Her travel times have reduced by about five minutes since March.

"It's definitely been quieter over the past few weeks," she said. "I suspect petrol prices have something to do with it, although there are still some traffic jams."

The commuters' comments back up figures from public transport firms and highway managers, who say growing numbers of Aucklanders are turning to buses.

Stagecoach Auckland has reported a jump of 4 to 5 per cent since March in the number of people using its services.

Last week, the firm started a new system that will boost its Link bus services 30 per cent at peak times.

Tranz Rail has reported more people taking its trains, and Transit New Zealand figures show that about 2000 fewer cars are using Auckland motorways each day.

Herald commuter Serena Balston has been battling journeys of up to an hour in her 20km drive from Swanson to the city, including 20-odd minutes at the Te Atatu on-ramp.

She said traffic was "definitely no trouble at all now," perhaps because of the increased petrol prices or parents staying home during the school holidays.

The fourth Herald commuter has made the biggest personal effort to ease Auckland's traffic problems.

Librarian Rochelle Wordsworth has shifted to the United States, and represents one less car clogging the roads between Howick and Auckland University each day.

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