The Government is launching a road cone hotline to crack down on over-compliance in traffic management.
The chief executive of a traffic management company helping train WorkSafe staff for a new hotline designed to curb overzealous road cone use is “very doubtful” the scheme will work.
The digital hotline was launched by the Government in June, allowing members of the public to report instances of excessive road cone use anywhere in New Zealand to WorkSafe.
“You can drive around this country at different times of the day and you’ve got whole roads shut down, no one is doing any work and the cones are, frankly, just clogging up the joint,” Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said at the hotline’s lauch.
Traffic management planning company Parallaxx helps train WorkSafe staff for the hotline, but chief executive Dave Tilton is skeptical of the concept – partly due to the number of people a report needs to go through before action is taken.
“We absolutely have oversupply [of road cones] beyond the minimum without question ... but I’m very doubtful that this particular thread [the hotline] is going to bear fruit in fixing it.
“The main negative point that makes me the most uncomfortable about it is ... you think about a driver who is now somewhat empowered by the idea they can report overzealous road cones. Then [they are] looking at roadworks as ... what do I not like? What does not reach the threshold that will deserve my respect?”
Tilton said this could lead to motorists having less respect for roadworks sites and their workers, posing safety risks.
This in turn could lead to more traffic management equipment being deployed to counteract the disrespect.
“[That’s] the exact opposite of what is intended”, Tilton said.
In the first six weeks of operation, almost 900 reports were lodged to the hotline – with most of them deemed valid. These reports are passed on to the road controlling authority (RCA) responsible (such as Auckland Transport) to follow up.
For example, Auckland Transport said its staff would often go to the site of concern or check CCTV footage to see what can be done.
Worksafe said 155 inspectors have completed special training to be able to spot cone over-compliance and in some cases, they will visit sites with the local RCA.
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden said while abuse to road workers was never acceptable, more proportionate road cone use could actually help indicate there was a genuine risk at sites.
Van Velden said during recent travels across the country someone raised the issue of a “sea of road cones” at nearly every meeting.
This week, van Velden said there had been instances of cone over-compliance identified and addressed because of reports through the hotline.
“For example, in Albany, a worksite found 30 excess road cones after a report to the tipline, which were removed to make the site less disruptive.”
Documents released under the Official Information Act reveal officials discouraged the minister from having inspectors complete site inspections alone because they have no power to enforce change immediately.
“There will be no ability for our inspectors to affect immediate change to the number of road cones present in each situation, because the business is required to operate the site according to the approved [Traffic Management Plan] which will already have been approved by the RCA.
“Additionally, our inspectors will not have access to the approved TMP without requesting a copy from the RCA.”
Officials discouraged the Government from allowing anonymous reports of excessive road cone use at roadworks sites over fears it would lead to a flood of pranks and bogus reports. Officials cited a failed attempt in the UK to install a similar system where out of 17,000 calls for service, only five resulted in any cones being removed.
“A range of prank calls were received when the UK introduced a ‘cone hotline’ in 1992 and we aim to minimise this by asking for contact details,” officials said.
Although the hotline is nationwide, officials warned the minister that local councils would not have capacity or the funding for follow-up reports swiftly as larger councils like Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington did.
Officials said they had been advised by Auckland Transport that they had seen an increase in abuse of road workers especially following public announcements and commentary about road cones.
“It would need clear messaging that the road workers are not responsible for road cones.”
Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.