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Councillors found it difficult to swallow Auckland Transport’s decision to adjust upward the number of road deaths and serious injuries that it seeks to remain below each year.
At a Transport and Infrastructure Committee meeting on August 17, members approved AT’s statement of intent which included setting that number at no more than 640 deaths and serious injuries (DSIs), up from 537 last year.
AT failed to meet its safety target last year, when there were 669 DSI reported on Auckland’s roads.
AT’s executive general manager Stacey van der Putten said the previous figure was unrealistic.
“Knowing that we have funding constraints, it is irresponsible for us to keep on putting up these targets when we knowingly can’t meet them,” she said. “Regional Land Transport Plan road safety funding has been reduced substantially, $30 million from $74 million, so there are these big changes there.”
Van der Putten said legislative changes around road safety had not materialised, adding to the problem.
Cr Shane Henderson said lifting the DSI figure sent the wrong message to Aucklanders. “We have had too many deaths, particularly of cyclists, particularly of walkers. We have all had them in our wards, we have all had to speak to families that have been affected,” he said.
Henderson decried what he called “horrible political rhetoric” opposing initiatives like speed tables and separated cycle paths that made life safe for Aucklanders.
“We have got to put a stake in the ground and say we are going to do what we can.”
Cr Angela Dalton said she too could not support raising the figure, and said the situation was not a reflection on AT, but on committee members for not funding AT.
“We must have a look at ourselves and what we choose to invest into our people of Auckland and our priorities,” Dalton said.
Cr Daniel Newman rebuffed the idea that approving the statement of intent amounted to supporting the lifting of the DSI figure.
“I did not see, in the budget that we passed at the end of June, too many amendments to drive up the capex [capital expenditure] budget and the renewals budget for Auckland Transport.”
He said the statement of intent was a result of council’s budget and councillors could try to fix the issue in next year’s budget. “I bet you anything that it still won’t be enough because this is complex and difficult.”
Cr Andy Baker agreed that the issue was complex. “DSIs go up and down every year without rhyme or reason – it is an impossible science to try and figure out why people are dying on our roads or getting seriously injured,” he said.
“The huge statistic of people not putting on their seat belt – how that can be addressed in a statement of intent? How AT can address that, I don’t know.”
AT’s statement of intent was approved by the committee, with 14 votes in favour and seven against.
