By a concerned resident
FIRST: “Why are these people driving down Albert Street to find their way out of Whitianga township?”
Romy Stowers, working on a construction at 115 South Highway East where the canal of the Waterways starts, asked himself this question. While working on site, he noticed that some vehicles’ GPS systems – following a ‘to Tairua’ direction, were directing their drivers southward, past the Mercury Bay Area School, leading them onto South Highway East, a dead-end road with no crossing over the canal. The road ends at a boat ramp, causing unexpected stops if you are unfamiliar with Whitianga.
The drivers needed to turn right into Kupe Drive to reach Joan Gaskell Drive and then exit the township. There is a sign telling them to do this but it is very small, high up on a pole, above line of sight, and at night, would be even more difficult to see.
This misleading signage has resulted in incidents, such as a tanker truck being unable to turn around. The driver had to reverse back up the road. The issue was reported by a resident to TCDC, who advised to, “Get in touch with the Community Board”. After waiting a month, the reply was “Get in touch with TCDC roading.” Finally the response came – “The cost of adding a sign is not currently in the budget.” For safety reasons, a bigger and better sign should be added at Kupe Drive to guide drivers out of town.
SECOND: Outside the town near OPC, the road is called South Highway West. This denotes it is a main drive-through road when it is not. It is a dead-end street. The name South Highway West should be removed as it misleads drivers and leads to confusion.
Previously, there were attempts to rename the road but an objection by a couple of residents halted the process.
