Pothole on SH33 near Paengaroa. Photo / Andrew Warner
OPINION:
Our roads are atrocious.
Potholes are engulfing areas of roads at alarming rates but as taxpayers, motorists deserve up-to-scratch infrastructure.
This year, more than $4000 in compensation has been claimed* by drivers who suffered damage to their vehicles because of potholes and uneven surfaces on state highways in the Bay of Plenty.
It's gotten so bad in Tauranga that one retiree is vowing to fix the roads himself.
Last week, local police were forced to issue a warning after a pothole opened up on the Kaimai Range and was responsible for scalping the tyres of some 20 vehicles in one afternoon.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has proven it can build adequate infrastructure with the likes of the Tauranga Eastern Link and the Waikato Expressway, where motorists can reach speeds of 110km/h legally.
So where are things going so wrong?
Waka Kotahi and Tauranga City Council both said July was the wettest on record nationally and played a big factor.
That may be true, I can't imagine trying to set bitumen in the rain is an easy task, but it is going to have to find a way to beat the weather because it's not going away.
And neither are the motorists unless they are given a reason to not head out on the road.
Last week, Bay of Plenty public transport leaders set a target to shift 20 per cent of Tauranga and Rotorua's urban car commuters on to public transport within 10 years.
The Government have been pushing to reduce the number of vehicles on the roads but the proper solutions for Kiwis haven't been found.
Short-form public transport doesn't appear to be of interest, highlighted by all the empty buses about the place.
We need to start thinking bigger and quicker.
That's why I think the most sensible and forward-thinking investment would be inter-regional passenger rail.
In March last year, the Government announced it had invested $85.8 million in Te Huia, the commuter rail service between Waikato and Auckland.
Tauranga has looked at passenger rail links before but plans did not substantiate.
Te Huia served 7609 passengers in July, nearly double the 3909 the same month last year. That's quite a few cars off the roads, especially when you consider most car commuters are single occupants.
The train had been benefiting from the half-price fares policy but it's added incentives that get people on board.
It comes as the Transport and Infrastructure Select Committee seeks submissions around potential rail expansions in areas like Tauranga, with an inquiry open until October 31.
If you think it's worthwhile, I'd encourage you to plead your case.
The decision-makers might say rail is too expensive but now is not the time to have gorse in the pocket, it's time to make do something that makes sense now and decades into the future.
*CORRECTION
This editorial previously reported, incorrectly, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency had paid out more than $4000 in compensation for pothole damage. The figure related to the amount complainants had claimed from the agency - Waka Kotahi did not pay any compensation.