Ask Phoebe: Right turn recall saves going the long way around

Photo / The Aucklander

Can you please tell me when we can expect to be able to turn right again from Beaumont St into Fanshawe St? The no-right-turn was supposed to have ended in November but it's still there.
Liz MacClean, North Shore.

Not any longer. The right turn has been reinstated as of a few weeks ago. I assume you mean the one heading towards the harbour bridge, as the other one, towards the city, never went away.

In March last year Cabinet announced the driving age would be raised to 16, but nothing seems to have happened. Do you know when this will occur? Please tell me it will happen before my son's 15th birthday in December.
Tony Burgess, Auckland.

Good news for you, not so good for your son. A Ministry of Transport spokesman advises the proposal to raise the minimum driving age is included in the Land Transport (Road Safety and Other Matters) Amendment Bill which was introduced into Parliament in September last year. It is now awaiting its second reading. It is expected the bill will be passed in the next few months and the increased driving age put in place by the middle of the year.

When travelling into the city along the Northwestern Motorway, just past the Western Springs onramp, there are five lanes. The left lane turns off to Newton Rd and the second lane leads to the harbour bridge and the city centre. Lane three is for the Southern Motorway link, and lanes four and five lead to the port. The problem is that the first overhead signage is around the bend before Newton Rd and traffic in this area is often stopped or very slow. I continually see confused drivers looking to change lanes when they see the signs, which is difficult if the traffic has stopped. Is there any chance of getting another set of signs nearer to Western Springs, perhaps on the overhead gantry there?
Sophia Campton, West Auckland.

Early last year the Transport Agency installed additional signs to deal with this issue. The gantry before the left-hand bend near Bond St has a complete suite of signs informing drivers of the lane they should be in for their desired destination. The main aim of the new signs was to give motorists wanting to go from the Northwestern Motorway to the Southern Motorway plenty of time to get into the correct lane. The gantry can be seen from the straight before the left-hand bend where there are four lanes just before the fifth lane, which goes to the port, begins. In spite of this, confusion remains. The Transport Agency will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the signs and add more if they consider they are justified. Judging by your letter, they are.