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On the face of it, the announcement from Transport Minister Chris Bishop yesterday makes good sense. It's been signalled; it was National Party election policy to move away from a fuel excise duty to road user charges (RUC). Simeon Brown, who was the transport spokesman at the time, said it would be a fairer way to charge for the distance people drive rather than the amount of fuel they use, given the different nature of the way we drive these days and the vehicles we drive. So the current fuel excise duty is expected to be abolished in the coming years, all vehicles moving to road user charges. These are currently paid by owners of diesel, electric, and heavy vehicles. Last year the Government said the transition away from the so-called petrol tax could happen as soon as 2027. Yesterday, Chris Bishop said no date had been set, in order to make sure the changes aren't rushed. Which put this rather in the category of an announcement of an announcement. What was announced yesterday is: Removing the requirement to carry or display RUC licences, allowing for digital records instead. Enable the use of a broader range of electronic RUC devices, including those already built into many modern vehicles. Supporting flexible payment models, such as post-pay and monthly billing. Separating NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi's (NZTA) roles as both RUC regulator and retailer to foster fairer competition. Allowing bundling of other road charges such as tolls and time-of-use-based pricing into a single, easy payment. Currently, the system is mostly paper-based and drivers have to monitor their odometers to check what distance they have driven. It also requires owners to buy RUCs in 1000km chunks. The Automobile Association is broadly supportive of the changes. AA Transport policy director Martin Glynn spoke to the Mike Hosking Breakfast and believes moving to an electronic system is a good idea. MG: “I think absolutely long term, as vehicles become more fuel efficient and people start, you know, there's different ways of powering vehicles, as we all know it's just not sustainable. So yeah we actually do need to make the shift. MH: "The electronics behind it, is the transfer easy? If you get an app or you get a sensor in your car or whatever that turns out to be, is that easy? MG: "The announcements been a little bit vague. Certainly for new cars the Minister's been clear that a lot of that data and the systems are already available in the car itself, so that should be fairly straightforward. But I think that what he seems to be signalling is that we're moving to electronic devices to measure distance, and base, and weight. So that would be actually something in vehicles like we have the heavy vehicles now. And the National Road Carrier Association CEO Justin Tighe-Umbers spoke to Early Edition this morning, and they also think it's a good move. “It's a once in 50 year change. Every country around the world is actually facing this problem where you've got EVs and far more efficient petrol engines just reducing how roading's paid for. New Zealand's actually in, we're in quite a good position because we're world pioneers in road user charges. We were the first to bring it out in the late 70s and we're still a world leader on it with electronic RUCs for how trucks pay for it, so we're actually in quite a strong position compared to other countries.” Who knew? I did not realise that we were world leaders in road user charges. At first glance, it makes sense. The Minister said that as our vehicle fleet has changed, so too must the way we fund our roads. It isn't fair, Chris Bishop said, to have Kiwis who drive less and can't afford the fuel-efficient cars paying more than people who can afford one and drive more often. He said the intent is to make paying RUC user friendly and similar to paying a power bill online or a Netflix subscription. The thing is though, if you don't pay your power bill or your Netflix subscription, the service is cut. You don't get it anymore. You don't pay, you don't get it. You can't do that with roads. It's not as though all of a sudden a barrier is going to appear at your driveway, and you're not allowed to go onto the road because you haven't paid your RUC. And according to number of mechanics, the number of vehicles that turn up where the RUC have not been paid is extraordinary. So the system will only be as good as the technology that can isolate the people who are not paying. I'm sure you'll be able to fiddle the electronics if you can fiddle odometers, and people have been doing that ever since there's been the buying and trading of vehicles. The technology has to be as tamper proof as we can make it. It's the right move, but we just have to ensure we have the technology to ensure that users do indeed pay. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When I heard Transport Minister Chris Bishop talking about the Government's changes to the road user charges system, I had a bit of a Max Bradford moment. Max was the National Party minister who told us back in 1988 that his reforms of the electricity sector were going to mean cheaper power prices. Which is what Chris Bishop was saying yesterday about the plan to ditch petrol taxes and move all vehicle owners to road user charges which, at the moment, are only paid by people with diesel, electric, and heavy vehicles. He said: “From a cash flow point of view, it'll help people. At the moment, when you go and fill your car up you pay petrol tax at the pump, right there at 70 cents per litre, roughly.” The part of yesterday's announcement that really caught my eye was NZTA not being responsible for collecting and processing the road user charge payments. Instead, that's going to be farmed out to private operators which the government says will encourage “fairer competition”. And, in saying that, the Government is trying to sell some sort of idea that by not having NZTA involved, these charges are somehow going to be cheaper. Which is why I had Max Bradford ringing in my ears. Because he was talking nonsense when he said his reforms back in 1988 were going to mean cheaper power prices. And Chris Bishop is talking nonsense if he expects us to believe that contracting private outfits to take over is going to mean cheaper costs for vehicle owners. The minister says it's possible we'll pay our road user charges through an app, which is why the government wants to get private operators involved. Because it doesn't want to spend the time and money developing the technology and the systems. But will this “fairer competition” it's talking about really mean things being cheaper at our end? Of course not. And this is not me having a dig at any of the companies who might have heard that announcement yesterday and saw an opportunity. Because that's what business is all about: seeing opportunities. And, again, this isn't me having a dig at businesses, but they don't do these kinds of things for free. Being in business is all about clipping the ticket as much as possible. And no business is going to want to get involved in the new road user charging system if it can't clip the ticket. That's just how it is. Which is why I don't like the Government's plan to take NZTA out of the picture. Yes, I support the shift to everyone paying road user charges, because that makes sense. Because when you use a road, it makes no difference whether you drive an old dunger or something more modern – you're still using it. With road user charges, you pay depending on how many kilometres you drive instead of how much fuel you buy. And if you've got the most fuel-efficient vehicle on the market, why should you effectively pay less to use the same road as someone who can only afford an old gas guzzler? You shouldn't. So the move to us all paying road user charges will get no argument from me. What I am pushing back on, though, is the plan to get private companies running the new system. To let private companies clip the ticket which, as far as I can see, will only lead to us paying more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's Transport Agency is dealing with a privacy breach after names and addresses of nearly 1000 people were accessed from the Motor Vehicle Register. NZTA deputy director of land transport Mike Hargreaves spoke to Corin Dann.

The Transport Agency has been secretly using cameras in billboards at city intersections to track cars and trucks. Phil Pennington spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Chris Bishop says we're sick of over-the-top cone use and expensive traffic management plans. And he'd be right. They are so annoying and often, to the untrained eye at least, completely pointless. They take a $100 job and make it a $1000 job. So why is this till happening? Why are there still cones everywhere, when the government says NZTA's code of practice for traffic management rick assessment - is no longer being used? Obsolete? Well, the problem is many councils are apparently still using this code of practice as their north star. As a response, the government's now threatening local council funding. They have to threaten funding to get these council to change their ways. What this shows us is just how far and deep the overly cautious, safety-at-any-cost mentality has set in. And also, it shows you how scared they are of worksafe coming in a going them if somebody gets hurt or injured. You have to make sure people are safe, especially when working with dangers. But you can't keep everybody safe from harm in all places, at all times and for any reason. Fencing every waterway is impractical. So is covering every street in road cones. We need to find a sensible middle ground and make sure the officials told to carry out the changes, actually do so.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Transport Minister says the beleaguered national ticketing system needs to get back on track and NZTA has been "overly optimistic" about its viability. Reporter Nick James spoke to Corin Dann.

The transport agency is warning motorists about challenging driving conditions on central South Island highways over the next few days. NZTA senior network manager Scott McKenzie spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Across the top of the south Island, roads have been damaged, affecting travel. Ingrid Hipkiss spoke to NZTA regional manager Mark Owen.

The Infrastructure Commission's draft 30-year plan is the kind of big picture thinking we've been saying is needed, instead of the ad-hoc, politically driven approach we have at the moment. Essentially, the Commission says we're going to need less schools and more hospitals because of the ageing population. It also says we're going to need more roads and better roads, and we're going to have to do some serious thinking about how we pay for them. Its draft plan doesn't go into too much detail, other than we're going to have to have more user-pays. Already, we've got one commentator floating an idea that I don't necessarily like, but which I think is inevitable. Because, as the Infrastructure Commission is hinting at, the current way we fund roading in New Zealand has “yesterday” written all over it. Once upon a time, it was probably feasible or sustainable for the government and councils to pay for it all. Or us to pay for it all through our taxes and our rates and not have to pay anything else on top of that. But those days are gone. Which is why I think Matthew Birchall from the New Zealand Initiative think-tank is onto something. He reckons that we should do away with the current road-user charging model —which has people driving the likes of diesel vehicles paying road user charges— and replace it with distance-based charging for all vehicles, on all roads. So the more you drive, the more you pay. He says with vehicles becoming more fuel-efficient and electric cars growing in popularity, the current model isn't fit for purpose. In the next decade alone, NZTA reckons it will be short of about $4 billion to $5 billion. That's the next decade, let alone the next 30 years. He says we need a fairer system that directly links road user charges to those of us who use the roads and how much we use them. And, aside from being a very practical way of getting the money needed for roads, I reckon it would also work in favour of people who think we should all be on public transport. Because, chances are, it might be cheaper in some instances to take the bus. Matthew Birchall calls his idea “smart road user charging” – or smart RUCs. He says: “Under this system, fuel excise duty would be gradually phased out and replaced with distance-based charging for all vehicles." He says road users would choose between an automated “pay-as-you-drive” system or a pre-purchased RUC licence, similar to the existing diesel RUC system. And he says charges would vary based on factors like vehicle type, weight, and time of travel, ensuring that costs are allocated efficiently and equitably. I'm not sure about the equitably bit because I imagine people living in our bigger cities who might not be big income earners might live further out of town and, therefore, might be stung more than wealthier people living closer to the city. But, broadly, I think it's a great idea. In fact, I think it's a no-brainer. I don't love it. But I think it is inevitable. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you know what's really starts to rub me the wrong way? It's governments telling us to do more things. This morning, we've got the government coming out with yet another hotline. Sounds fancy. Sounds efficient. It's a hotline to report road cones. A road cone tipline. Sorry, but if the problem is that there are too many road cones on the road, and they're unnecessary for the work being carried out —which half of them appear to be— then why do you need us to tell you that? Surely if we just had better, clearer rules and less bullshit, we wouldn't need a road cone tipline. A pothole tipline. A 105 theft tipline. A beneficiary tipline. Either you know what you're doing and you've got smart people and smart systems, or you don't. And every time I hear of another tipline I realise, they have no idea. Tiplines are the equivalent of a safety calming measure. Those weird speed bumps or narrowing roads, designed to make people feel better when driving around. All they really do is piss people off and reveal how rubbish your road designs are to begin with. Just think about this: There's a bunch of road cones in a dumb place on a busy road. WorkSafe and NZTA and Council people drive past this busy spot every day. Barbara in her little Honda Civic, she drives past. She calls it in. Barry in his truck and trailer. He calls it in. Sally picks the kids up at 3pm from school every day. They all ring the tipline. They all report the same thing. It will then be somebody's job to sort through the tips. Somebody else will triage the tips. That's two jobs. In three weeks, Barry, Sally, and Barb get a letter. Because the post only runs two days a week. The letter says we're looking into the issue for you. Meanwhile, 100 government or council people have walked or driven past the road cone Armageddon and nothing's changed. Tiplines are plasters over grenades. The only time I want to ring a tipline is speak to the actual dump. In its first 156 days in office, the National-led government has set up 37 reviews, inquiries or advisory panels – some of which are being led by former ministers, including Bill English, Steven Joyce, Murray McCully and Roger Sowry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Significant changes at WorkSafe as it moves from an enforcement focus and launches the road cone hotline. The agency will now engage early to support risk management, starting with today's opening of a tipline for excessive road cone usage. Parallaxx Traffic Control Training Chief Executive Dave Tilton told Ryan Bridge there are good elements to this announcement. He agrees with the collaborative risk-based approach, connecting WorkSafe, councils, and NZTA. But Tilton says there are incompatible components to the hotline itself. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Driving schools that offer lessons in high-tech car simulators are at odds with the transport agency over safety risks they could pose for learner drivers once they hit the road. The NZTA argues simulators could encourage over-confidence, putting new drivers at greater risk of crashing, but instructors insist they aren't dangerous. Joe Shaw reports.

In an ideal world, I would love us to have more trains. In an ideal world, I think it would be great if all our big cities had rail passenger services. Not just Auckland and Wellington that Transport Minister Chris Bishop was talking about when he announced this morning that there's $600 million in this week's Budget going into rail. I won't go all scratched record on it and start asking where the money is for the Greater Christchurch area, but I would love to see money going into commuter rail here. Because if we do think rail has a future in New Zealand —and I'm talking about passenger rail as well as sending freight by rail— I think it's more realistic to expect commuters to take the train than people going out of town on holiday. So that's one area where I'd put the money – into passenger trains. And that's probably my ideal world scenario, which I'll come back to. What I think is certainly more achievable though, is getting more freight shipped around the place on trains. Because we've shown how bad we are as a country at maintaining our roading network. And, if you believe the rail advocates, they'll tell you that the main problem is trucks. That they're responsible for chewing up the roads. And, when you travel down the east coast of the South Island, it does strike you how much of a donkey track State Highway 1 is in parts. Yet we seem to be quite happy for these trucks —designed in countries where they do have massive motorways— to go up and down that donkey track night and day, 365 days a year. So get more freight on trains first. And then, if we're going to do anything more with passenger trains, focus on getting people to work and school on a train instead of expecting them to go to Nelson for their holidays on a train. Because I've long thought how brilliant it would be if we had a rail service from Rangiora to the city and from Rolleston to the city. Imagine what the motorways would look like. Imagine getting into town on a train —not a bus, where you can get all the same disruptions as other vehicles— but you scream into town on the train, you don't have to worry about finding a park, and then get the train back home again in the evening. The Canterbury Regional Transport Committee obviously likes the sound of that too. This is the entity that involves all councils in the canterbury region —including ECAN— and NZTA. And the number one job of the regional transport committee is to implement the Canterbury Regional Transport Plan. In recent years, there's been talk of passenger rail services running from the city to Rolleston and as far north as Amberley. Reading the most recent regional transport plan, the enthusiasm that we were hearing a couple of years seems from the transport committee seems to have been tempered a bit. There is still political interest in a passenger rail service south of Christchurch but there are no timeframes and, of course, where the money comes from is the stumbling block. But there are positive signs if you're into the idea of rail, like I am. The regional transport plan sets a goal of increasing the amount of freight moved by train in Canterbury by 100% over the next eight or nine years. So that's good. But it also talks about the population of Selwyn growing by around 58,000 people over the next 20-and-a-bit years. And, in Waimakariri, the population is expected to go up by 25,000 people in the same period. Christchurch is expected to have another 66,000 people. So there's an extra 149,000 people living in the Greater Christchurch area, and we think the Northern Motorway and the Southern Motorway are going to be just fine? Dream on. And that's the argument right there for passenger rail services in the Greater Christchurch area. Which is why when I ask, should we be investing more in rail here in Canterbury, my answer is yes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“It's like making a silk purse out of a pig's ear.” That's a quote from the boss at Transporting New Zealand, which represents the transport sector, talking about Brougham Street in Christchurch. Because it's been revealed by NZTA that the $150 million revamp of Brougham Street, one of Christchurch's busiest streets, will include T2 transit lanes – which the truckies are brassed-off about because they won't be able to use them. And I'm with the truckies. I think it's nuts that on a street like Brougham Street —which is a pig's ear of a road if ever there was one— we're going to go all “rules are rules” on it and not do something that I think would make a genuine difference. As the truckies do as well. So these transit lanes, or T2 lanes, can only be used by vehicles carrying more than one person. They've been on the Northern Motorway since 2021. There is a stretch of T2 that trucks can use there, on the Tram Road on-ramp near the Waimakariri Bridge. It's probably just to make it easier for them to turn onto the motorway, but don't go telling us NZTA that you can't do the same on Brougham Street because it “might set a precedent”. So Dom Kalasih from Transporting New Zealand says Brougham Street is a pig of a road and Scott McAlister from logistics company Mackleys says traffic congestion there is “bad and getting worse”. He says: “All the improvements are focused on pedestrians and cyclists. That's fine. But it needs to conjointly be done with freight.” Tell that to some people living in the area though, who are happy that the T2 lanes will mean the trucks being closer to the middle of the road and not travelling so close to the footpath. I understand where they're coming from but the bigger picture, surely, has to be getting that stretch of road moving – especially the trucks. And I know rules are rules, but I reckon Brougham Street is a special case. And truckies should, of course, be allowed to use these transit lanes. It's a key link for freight and it makes no sense to keep them stuck in the slow lanes. Forty-five thousand vehicles use Brougham Street each day —trucks make up 10% percent of them— and the truckies are saying it adds 30 minutes to their trip. Which I think is a very compelling argument for bending the rules. If not bending the rules, then re-writing them. You only need to travel on a bus in one of those bus lanes to get an idea of how much quicker trucks could get through in a T2 lane. I know they would be sharing the lanes with other vehicles —unlike the buses which have the bus lanes to themselves— but it's worth a go, isn't it? The other part of this is that NZTA is going to have to make sure that these new transit lanes on Brougham Street are policed. You might have seen it reported earlier this week that the T2 lanes on the Northern Motorway haven't been policed since they opened four years ago. Which means people are sailing through when they shouldn't be. So there will need to be monitoring and enforcement on Brougham Street, otherwise the T2 lanes will be a complete waste of time. They'll also be a complete waste of time if trucks aren't allowed to use them. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aucklanders air and water quality could be impacted after a fire broke out at an industrial business on the North Shore. People have been told to keep windows and doors closed and stay away from the area. Newstalk ZB reporter Emily Ansell talks to Tim Beveridge about the fire, issues with National's tax break promise and South Auckland's long awaited Mill Road project. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lawyers for a group seeking to pause the roll out of speed limit increases say the changes are ignoring NZTA's own safety findings. The group - called Movement - wants any changes to speed limits to wait until the outcome of a judicial review. But counsel for the Crown say millions of dollars are already commitment to putting the governments policy into effect. Bill Hickman has more.

A small Nelson school is fighting plans to increase the speed limit on the State Highway 6 that runs past its front gate. The government's reversing speed limit reductions, brought in by Labour, on local streets, arterial roads, and state highways by 1 July this year. NZTA announced it will now consult on changes to 16 sections of state highways that were due to automatically revert to faster speeds. Clifton Primary School in the Nelson suburb of Atawhai is on State Higway 6; about five years ago the speed limit on that stretch of road dropped from 80km/hr to 60km/hr. It's desperate to keep it that way and will now get a say. Clifton Terrace school principal Rob Wemyss spoke to Lisa Owen.

A new set of amendments looks to turbo charge major infrastructure projects. The Government's proposing changes to the Public Works Act to speed up acquiring land, including premium payments to private landowners. The Environment Court will be sidelined from the objections process. Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking a lot of these are NZTA roading projects. He says they don't like taking land, but it's the reality if we want to build infrastructure in this country. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three currently sealed roads in Southland could be turned back into gravel roads because of what the council says is a lack of funding from NZTA. Southland Mayor Rob Scott spoke to Corin Dann.

Drivers wanting to travel faster on State Highways around the country will soon get their wish. 38 sections of the roading network will be reversed back to their previous higher speed limits by NZTA over the next five months. It brings an end to speed reductions brought in under the last Labour Government. There are concerns that faster speeds could lead to more crashes on our roads, but the government insists the changes are safe. Nick James reports.

More roads could get faster - beyond the Government's planned changes to speed limits on 38 sections of road. The Government is reversing speed limit reductions on those stretches by July, with work set to start tonight. The Prime Minister believes it'll help people get to jobs faster, pushing economic growth. Transport Minister Chris Bishop says 49 roads deemed 'more complicated' will be consulted on. "There are some nasty sections of those roads - we're going to consult on them and it may be that NZTA says the default will go back up to 100, for example, but there will be bits where we keep the speed limit." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The police have missed out on a $6 million funding incentive for failing to issue enough speeding tickets. The Transport Minister promised earlier in the year that police could expect to receive $72 million as part of their funding from NZTA - if certain road policing targets were met. AA Road Safety spokesperson Dylan Thomsen says police managed to exceed alcohol testing targets this quarter - which the association is pleased to see. "Really, this is just part of a huge push from the Government here to increase the amount of enforcement around alcohol and drugs and speeding." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transport agency Waka Kotahi has released its updated used car safety rating, including a crash avoidance rating to show how well a car can prevent or reduce crashes. Principal Advisor Vehicle Safety Todd Wylie spoke to Corin Dann.

The Transport Minister says councils have other options to increase revenue, not just through higher fares. NZTA's ordering councils take a higher revenue share and agree to new targets by December 19th. Public transport authorities have requested an urgent meeting, saying the targets would see bus, train, and ferry prices surge. But Simeon Brown told Mike Hosking it's a lazy approach to just increase fares. He says councils have a range of tools including increased advertising, sponsorships, corporate fare schemes, and renting out space at train stations. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you like to hop on the bus or train to get around, then the fares you pay could be about to skyrocket in price. Waka Kotahi NZTA has sent letters to local councils and transport authorities asking them to increase their revenue from fares, sponsorship and advertising. Kate Green has the story.

Bus and train fares across New Zealand are set to rise with the transport agency asking councils to hit higher revenue targets. Public transport commentator Matt Lowrie spoke to Alexa Cook.

The Transport Agency is telling bus and train providers to take in more money, which could force fare hikes. Wellington's Regional Council is rejecting the call from NZTA. Transport Committee Chair Thomas Nash says it would mean unaffordable 70 percent fare increases during a cost of living crisis. "You'd end up just pushing people back into cars, more people will be on the road and it would be more congested - which I think is the opposite of what we need." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The transport minister has revealed how much NZTA is spending on traffic management. Minister Simeon Brown spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The Transport Agency's spending is in the spotlight. The Transport Minister's calling NZTA's costs “eye-watering” and excessive after revealing a near $800 million spend on traffic management over the past three years. Simeon Brown says a new framework is coming to reduce costs. Traffic Direct General Manager Dev Strause told Mike Hosking it will be made, but change doesn't happen overnight. He says it takes a bit of fine tuning to be able to redevelop and retrain all the workers, especially when some have been in the industry for over a decade. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Transport Agency has spent nearly $800 million on traffic management in the past three years, according to new reports. The Government has revealed the spend went to road cones, temporary traffic management, state highway maintenance and capital works. Transport Minister Simeon Brown says this is an 'exorbitant' sum and the spending needs to come down. "We need to see a much more efficient use of taxpayers' money when it comes to maintaining our roads and keeping road workers safe - we have to get that balance right." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A and Auckland Councillor Maurice Williamson joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Richard Chambers is set to take over as New Zealand's new Police Commissioner. Do we expect any new changes? Will we get more old-school policing under Chambers' watch. Should Auckland Transport stop fining people for parking in their own driveways? What do we make of this? It's been revealed NZTA spent $800 million on traffic management and road cones. Do we need to rein this spending in? New research says young people are drinking less - is this good news or cause for concern? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's disappointment among some as State Highway 1 in the Central North Island will be closed for repairs for two months. The Desert Road is closing between Turangi and Waiouru from January 6 until the end of February. The detour will add half an hour and an extra 50 kilometres to journeys. NZTA's Roger Brady says the approach is well-planned - and the closure lets them squeeze in four months' worth of work into two. "So instead of having a long, drawn-out, ongoing inconvenience - yes, it's going to be inconvenient, but there'll be a limit to the inconvenience to two months." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's outrage from Auckland commuters, as a hīkoi working its way down to Parliament marched over the Harbour Bridge and added to traffic issues. NZTA was forced to close some lanes on the bridge and people were delayed in their morning commutes. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper unpacks the political causes that inspired the hīkoi. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

State Highway 6 between Haast and Knights Point is likely to remain closed until later this week, after heavy rain caused slip damage and rockfall over the weekend. NZTA system manager for the area Mark Pinner spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

A signficant situation vacant is causing concern in the science world and beyond. The government won't say whether it's keeping role of Prime Minister's Chief science advisor; a job that has been empty since July. That's despite the coalition agreement saying "decisions will be based on data and evidence."Among other things the chief science advisor provides advice on specific topics to the PM and Ministers and information in a crisis like, the covid pandemic. However, past advice from Prime Ministerial science advisors on dealing with gangs, a rising prison population , and boot camps has run contrary to a number of policies the current government's adopted. The budget for the office has also been cut by half a million dollars. Simon Kingham was Chief Science advisor to the NZTA, up until May this year and spoke to Lisa Owen.

"Auckland's the problem child," when it comes to a blow out in wait times to sit licence tests, according the NZTA. Want to be drivers are having to wait up to a year for a spot. In desperation some are travelling to Thames, Matamata, and Te Awamutu 280 kilometres from Auckland. NZTA said demand for tests has gone up 60% and it's hurridly bolstering testing officer numbers. To help ease congestion, the government's agreed to extend the amount of time people can drive on over licences from 12 to 18 months. At the Glen Innes VTNZ centre in East Auckland, learner drivers say the long wait times are frustrating. NZTA's national manager regulatory system design Chris Rodley told Lisa Owen the wait times are unacceptable

After a 7 year wait, the highway connecting the eastern and western sides of the lower North Island is expected to open next year. But a last minute proposal move to add a toll to motorists using the highway has thrown locals into a tailspin. The New Zealand Transport Agency's idea of tolling Te Ahu a Turanga, the replacement highway for the closed Manawatu Gorge road is now open for public consultation, and as Jimmy Ellingham reports, even the council is mobilising against it.

A serious accident has closed State Highway One south of Auckland with all lanes closed in both directions. RNZ understands people have died and others have suffered critical injuries. A video posted online shows multiple cars, a van and a six wheeler truck were involved in the accident which happened just before two o'clock between Ramarama and Bombay. NZTA's Auckland System's manager Paul Geck speaks to Lisa Owen.

A Kapiti Coast driving school instructor says NZTA's disorganisation in training up extra testing officers has left her thousands of dollars out of pocket. First Up producer Mahvash Ikram reports

The recent warm weather may have fooled you into thinking Spring has sprung. But a cold easterly front has settled across the South Island, bringing heavy rain, ice, and snow. NZTA systems manager Mark Pinner spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

A regional expressway for Northland is number one on the Government's infrastructure priority list. The Transport Minister's agreed to accelerate things — letting NZTA move at pace on the route between Auckland and Whangarei. Locals have been growing irritated following repetitive road closures, making access to Northland difficult. Simeon Brown told Mike Hosking recent weather events highlighted how the work's importance. “This is something we have been working on all year — this announcement — because we know how critically important getting a fix for the Brynderwyns is.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NZTA says extra measures are being put in place to help keep travellers safe on the icy roads. Waka Kotahi's South Island Manager Mark Pinner spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

NZTA Waka Kotahi is still warning drivers to take care while driving in icy conditions on State Highway 8 after two buses rolled in Mackenzie District on Thursday. New Zealand Institute of Driver Educators President Mark Revill-Johnson spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

As the government pushes on with plans to raise speed limits around the country, an NZTA survey has found strong support for lowering limits around schools. 

A project to upgrade the technology network crucial to highway safety and responding to crashes has hit such big problems it had to be redesigned and rebuilt The network has now gone live, but other weak tech safety systems at NZTA remain in limbo despite the "critical risk" from hacking or breaking down. And the agency is refusing to reveal much about its troubles on upgrading of the Intelligent Transport Systems Network ... RNZ's Phil Pennington spoke to Corin Dann.

The horrendous weather forced the closure of State Highway 2 from Napier into Wairoa today, Ray Edwards, NZTA-Waka Kotahi acting system manager for Hawkes Bay and Tairawhiti speaks to Lisa Owen.

Hundreds of people have been affected by flooding on the east coast of the North Island, with more rain expected over the next few days. Hawke's Bay and Tai Rawhiti were slammed with torrential rain on Tuesday night and Wednesday. More than 400 properties in Wairoa were inundated and roads in and out of the town were flooded, restricting access. NZTA's Rua Pani spoke to Ingrid Hipikiss about the affects of the severe weather on roads.

Drivers in Hawke's Bay and Gisborne are being warned to stay cautious as slips and flooding damaged road and highways. NZTA/Waka Kotahi Rua Pani spoke with Ingrid Hipikiss

NZTA/Waka Kotahi chief executive Nicole Rosie speaks to Lisa Owen about the funding of the Te Huia train service.

Grey Power is calling for a change to elderly driver assessments, claiming the process for assessing driver capability is penalising some of the very people who need their licences the most. Grey Power acting vice president David Marshall says a nationwide survey of members has revealed a lack of practical driving assessors in the regions and also widespread use of cognitive tests - SIMARD-MD and Mini-ACE - to assess driver impairment. Canadian driving researcher Dr Alexander Crizzle, says there is no evidence to support the continued use of cognitive dementia tests to assess driver capability. In New Zealand, the driver licence renewal criteria require all licence holders to present a medical certificate confirming fitness to drive at age 75, then 80, and then every two years following. Waka Kotahi NZTA says it does not mandate cognitive tests for elderly drivers and maintains the use of such tools is left to the discretion of health practitioners. Draft guidelines on how to assess medical fitness to drive are currently under review and are expected to be released in June.