Minister of Transport Chris Bishop said in a statement yesterday the government was fixing the basics by taking another step to end New Zealand’s overuse of road cones.
Councils were, from yesterday, required to adopt a common-sense, risk-based approach to temporary traffic management, Mr Bishop said.
‘‘Too many councils still require contractors working on local roads to follow an outdated, overly-prescriptive code of practice for temporary traffic management,’’ Mr Bishop said.
‘‘This 500-plus page behemoth of a document specifies in detail the exact spacing required between road cones, among many other requirements.’’
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi now used practical guidance requiring contractors to assess the actual risks at each site and choose traffic management that was appropriate for the job, rather than following a one-size-fits-all rulebook, Mr Bishop said.
‘‘NZTA has shown you don’t need armies of contractors painstakingly measuring the gaps between road cones like butlers setting the table at Buckingham Palace.
‘‘The results speak for themselves. NZTA’s spend on temporary traffic management fell by around $46 million in the last financial year while maintaining safe worksites.
‘‘Some councils have also made good progress toward adopting the more pragmatic approach to temporary traffic management.’’
Those Mr Bishop said were making progress were: Auckland Transport, Hamilton, Tauranga, Christchurch and Porirua city councils and Marlborough, Tasman, Whangarei and New Plymouth district councils.
‘‘But for all the other councils, this is where the rubber hits the road.
‘‘If councils want national land transport funding for their local transport projects, they will need to use the same common-sense approach that’s delivering results on the state highway network.
‘‘Safety will always come first. But there’s a world of difference between sensible safety measures and treating every suburban pothole like a motorway reconstruction project.’’
