Podcasts about nzta

Wellington's mayor says scrapping the controversial Golden Mile project would be relatively easy, but they want to act in good faith. Councillors voted 12-4 to hold fire, after warnings the project could balloon to $220 million up from the 2021 budget of $160 million. Doing up Courtney Place could cost up to $25 million more than approved. Andrew Little says there's no contract or exit costs - but there's an agreement with NZTA. "We actually need to maintain that relationship with NZTA, we've got some big projects scheduled for Wellington now too." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For years, a father has been fighting for Waka Kotahi to do more about the dangers of a vehicle braking system involved in his son's death. Now a coroner's report backs him up, but NZTA still disagrees. After a death on a construction site, a coroner's report has called a braking system found in some 70,000 vehicles around New Zealand "inherently unsafe". Waka Kotahi disagrees.Guests:Louisa Cleave - Checkpoint senior producerSelwyn Rabbits - safety campaignerLearn More: Read more reporting on cardan shaft brakes, starting in 2021, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and hereSee NZTA Waka Kotahi's guidance on cardan shaft park brakes Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The new law passed yesterday giving NZTA and councils the power to bring in time-of-use charging. AA policy director Martin Glynn spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

A few years ago, we had a bunch of stories about Santa parades getting cancelled because of red tape and traffic management. NZTA was the Grinch that stole Christmas. And guess what, two years in, despite a change of Government, despite a Minister and Ministry of Regulation, despite the road cone tip line, the Grinch is back. This time it's Piopio. Population around 500. Rural. Between Hamilton and New Plymouth. SH3. They want to close the road on the main which is their usual route. It's close from 5:30pm to 8pm. Two and half hours. Kids get to see Santa's sleigh riding through town. Lollies would presumably be thrown from floats driven behind Utes - or do they still throw lollies, or would you be fined for hitting somebody? Anyway, you get the idea. We've all been to a Santa parade - great fun when you're a kid. Guess how much it was going to cost them because of the Grinch's traffic rules and the resulting bill for traffic management costs? It would normally cost around $1000. This year? $10,000-$14,000. If you're organising a Santa parade or an ANZAC parade or community event, don't worry, on the NZTA website you'll find a helpful guide: the New Zealand Guide to Temporary Traffic Management. It's 88 pages long. That's not the only problem. The first sentence of the foreword (yes, there's a foreword to this magnum opus) outlines the problem. Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is committed to Road to Zero - a safer Aotearoa New Zealand where no one is killed or injured on our roads. Now, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this is an absolute pipe dream and will never happen. Aiming for that outcome is mad. What you get as a result is 88 pages of rubbish and a $14k bill to get Santa in a sleigh for two hours. The organisers say they'll have to do a Christmas meet and greet but no actual parade. Christmas is the season to be jolly and the season for giving. NZTA is giving Grinch vibes and a bad attitude. Whether it's working from home, health and safety, or curriculum changes, there's a wall of bureaucracy that seems impenetrable. A change of government and direction doesn't seem to change anything.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tens of thousands of trucks in New Zealand are fitted with unsafe brakes that could fail at anytime. That is according to a damning coroners report into the death of an Auckland worker nearly eight years ago. Graeme Rabbits was crushed to death in 2018 when the brakes failed on a telehandler and it rolled down the slope it was parked on and pinned him against a concrete mixer. His death is one of six known fatalities caused by vehicles with cardan shaft brakes since 2010. There are up to 70,000 vehicles with the same brakes in New Zealand. Now a Coroner is urging NZTA to do more to warn people about the inherent danger these brakes pose. Checkpoint's Louisa Cleave and Jimmy Ellingham filed this report.

Major resurfacing work on one of Wellington's most crucial transport links begins today, three years after the road was completed. NZTA's Regional Manager for the lower North Island and upper South Island's Mark Owen spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Questions are being raised about what more the Transport Agency can do to improve the resilience of State Highway 3 between Waikato and Taranaki. Taranaki Whanganui reporter Robin Martin reports.

Drivers are likely to have to cough up for travelling on the Government's Roads of National Significance. NZTA's board has endorsed the investment cases for all the roads. Transport Minister Chris Bishop says the default will be to toll the new roads in order to establish a clear revenue stream. "Once you've built a road, it's all very well to have it there, but you've got to look after it as well." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than 300 people are being made to re-sit their practical driving test - following fraud allegations at an Auckland VTNZ. Police and NZTA are looking into claims testing officers at the Highbrook branch took money in return for passing applicants, over several years. Five officers have been sacked for misconduct - and the branch has stopped offering tests in the meantime. Transparency International NZ executive director Julie Haggie says they need to figure out how this was possible. "Behaviour and the training and the culture that was existing and whether any of those things had an impact on people feeling like - I can get away with it. And they have felt like they can get away with it and make profit out of it." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's launched an NZTA-backed freight action plan, which will link big airport projects with road and rail. It'll look at national demand and set up a freight advisory council after calls from the industry to make exports more competitive, and imports more affordable. Airports Association Chief Executive Billie Moore told Mike Hosking that although the plan focuses on roading, it needs to bring all modes of transport together. She says there's only so much that can be achieved through airports investing in cargo, if the road connections aren't good enough. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Horse riders in the lower North Island have raised concerns over safe road access. A shared path along the Ōtaki to North of Levin Expressway - a project currently under construction - prompted concern after horse riders were excluded from the path. NZ Equestrian Advocacy Network chairperson Shelly Warwick says the group's lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission, citing concerns over equity. "There are alternatives for every other user if you want to take them, but they've made a shared-use path to cater for vulnerable road users to get across this community, but excluded horse riders." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If the amount of money spent on ACC claims over the past five years for e-scooter injuries doesn't convince you that tighter laws are needed, I don't know what will. And if the amount of money spent on ACC claims over the past five years for e-scooter injuries doesn't convince you that NZTA made a big mistake deciding not to make e-scooters subject to the road rules - again, I don't know what will. The figure relates to injuries all over New Zealand. But it appears that us lot in Canterbury have copped it the worst. Or maybe we're the most reckless. The flatness of the place probably has something to do with it. Because, Christchurch especially, is brilliant for riding anything. Which is maybe why new data out today shows that, in the past five years, there have been more e-scooter injury claims in Canterbury than anywhere else in the country. Here, there have been 1,761 ACC claims lodged by Health NZ. Compared to 1,378 in Auckland, which has way more people - they've had claims. The $55.6 million in claims between September 2020 and now has the AA saying - again - that there aren't enough rules around e-scooters. Saying it's crazy, for example, that it isn't illegal to ride an e-scooter drunk. And it wants alcohol restrictions for e-scooter riders. No argument from me on that one. It is crazy. The AA also thinks it's crazy that there's no age limit and no mandatory helmets. No argument from me on both of those, either. But it's going to be very tricky to do anything about any of those things as long as e-scooters aren't considered or treated as vehicles. Which is the big mistake NZTA made, when it gave e-scooters this dispensation. Just so the private e-scooter operators could get their way and operate without any consideration for the road rules. No licence required; no obligation to follow the same rules as other road users; no previous experience required; no helmet required. There's not even a speed limit enforced. Plus, you can ride anywhere and everywhere. The other thing about this $55.6 million in ACC claims, is that e-scooter owners and e-scooter companies don't pay ACC levies. People bang on all the time about people coming here from overseas and getting free ACC cover - the reason being that you can't sue in this country and so we have to provide cover for people from overseas. The exact same thing is happening with e-scooter users. Private owners and people who use the hire scooters get free ACC cover. which, over the past five years, has cost us $55.6 million in claims. The AA says time's up and tougher rules are needed. I'm saying that isn't going to happen until we classify e-scooters vehicles. That's the nub of the problem and that's what needs to change. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Friday, 12 September 2025, the big protest across the Harbour Bridge in Auckland has been called off because of high winds. Relieving Waitemata District Commander Stefan Sagar tells Heather why police were going to let the protest happen, even though NZTA said no. Have secondary teachers lost their room with a whole week of strike action next week? PPTA president Chris Abercrombie defends the strike. There's angst in Wellington because people might soon start exploring for gold near the ecosanctuary of Zealandia. Travis Mackay is the only person who has been granted permission so far - he says it's all a storm in a teacup. Plus, the Sports Huddle disagrees on whether the All Blacks can make it 2/2 against South Africa and who is to blame for the netball debacle this week? Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The initial construction of Transmission Gully is being described as a 'dog's breakfast' as the chipseal and drainage systems prove unable to cope with demand. Newstalk ZB revealed yesterday that NZTA is planning to re-surface and rebuild several kilometres of the road north of Porirua, likely meaning lane closures during the day and full closures at night. Infrastructure NZ CEO Nick Leggett told Mike Hosking the road was rushed and opened without all consents being satisfied. He says New Zealand is not that experienced in building big projects, as things keep getting switched on and switched off. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Like anyone, if I can get something for free - I'll take it. But if it's something I have to pay for, then I'll pay it. Which is how I'm feeling about all this fuss over the new Woodend Bypass, north of Christchurch, being a toll road. Granted, I won't be a daily user, so the financial impact on me won't be the same as it will for someone who uses it every day. But let's get a grip. Toll roads are the future. Tell that to Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon, though, who is very upset that NZTA plans to charge car drivers $2.50 for a return trip on the bypass. He says many families can't afford that. It will cost $5 for trucks, by the way. I'm not sure what planet Dan Gordon has been on for the last 12 months. But this idea of the new bypass being a toll road was being hinted at by the Government more than a year ago. Last July, Simeon Brown was Transport Minister and he was saying back then that charging people to use the new road was definitely on the table. But Dan Gordon's not the only one upset about it. The principal of Kaiapoi North School isn't happy, either. Jason Miles reckons most locals will just avoid the toll road altogether - so they don't have to pay - and they'll use the road that goes past his school instead. And he's worried about the impact that could have on the safety of his students. Now if I was awarding a prize to either the mayor or the school principal for the strongest argument against the road toll, I'd give it to the school principal. Because, ever since the bypass at Woodend has been discussed, safety has been a major issue. So, yes, it would seem counterintuitive to spend billions on a bypass only to have it create other safety issues because of people not wanting to pay to use it and using an alternative route. But these days - if we want something, we have to pay for it. Which is what Nick Leggett from Infrastructure New Zealand is saying too. He says if we say no to tolls, we're saying no to new highways. He says: “It's disappointing to see local mayors lining up to oppose tolling the proposed Woodend Bypass. We all need to face facts. If we want safer, faster, better highways, the users of those roads need to be willing to pay something for them. “As a nation, we naturally want the best of everything, but that doesn't come for free.” Nick Leggett goes on to say: “The fairest and most sustainable approach is for those who use the road to contribute to its upkeep and operation. It is not fair to ask all taxpayers, many of whom will never use the road, to foot the bill.” And he won't be getting any argument from me. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

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.

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.

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

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. 

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.