Cycling woes: Ōpunake High student just wants to be able to cycle to school

Ōpunake High School student Daniel Harvey has expressed his concerns about the quality of the roads. Photo / Alyssa Smith

All Daniel Harvey, 15, wants to do is cycle to school.

Despite having a bike and helmet, and living within cycling distance from Ōpunake High School, he is yet to ride there.

The last time he was able to bike along Surf Highway 45 was in March, with the road deteriorating since then, he says.

“Ōpunake is such a beautiful place and to cycle along the Surf Highway is special, but it’s something me and my friends can’t do any more.”

In a letter written to the New Zealand Herald, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, the parent company of the Stratford Press, Daniel expressed his concerns about the quality of the roads.

“There is not enough room for cyclists to bike safely which becomes a hazard, and the stone chips left after roadworks have been completed is another hazard. There’s a high chance the stone chips will fly up and hit you which can cause injury.”

He wants Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency to fix these issues and make more room for a buffer zone along Taranaki’s Surf Highway 45.

"With how poorly the roads are being fixed they just end up much worse and we end up with a pothole problem as well. If the roadworks were completed to a higher standard, we wouldn't have these issues and the roads would be able to handle the number of vehicles that drive on it."

Ōpunake High School principal Andrea Hooper says she is proud of Daniel for speaking up.

"It's the power of the pen and making people aware of these issues. We want to see change but the only way to do that is by doing something and Daniel has done that with mana, knowledge and dignity. He's ready to inspire chance and that's awesome."

She says some of the students walk to school, but only a few cycle to school.

“It would be lovely if everyone in the rohe was able to bike to school but with the condition the road is in, it’s simply not safe.”

Waka Kotahi regional transport system manager Rob Service says iti is aiming to improve the roads for cyclists as it undertakes pavement rebuilds.

"This allows us to focus our limited funds to build and maintain the roads where the need is the greatest. Most cyclists use roads within the urban environment, so we are investing heavily with our local authority partners to develop cycle facilities in urban areas as a priority, to allow people to safely cycle to and from school and work wherever possible."

He says as part of maintenance contracts, crews inspect the roads and sweep debris regularly.

"Loose chip is especially apparent in the shoulders following new chip seals as the excess chip is used to ensure there is sufficient embedment following a final sweep. As our contractors can't be everywhere at once, we also rely on the public notifying us of any defects or hazards out on the road so we can get them cleaned up as soon as possible to make sure cycling is safer."

He says in recent months pre-seal repairs have been undertaken on SH45 around Ōpunake and a reseal is planned in the area before the end of the construction season.