Pressure from National and communities up and down the country might soon force Minister of Transport Michael Wood to slam the brakes on his highly unpopular blanket speed limit reductions across our state highways, National’s Transport spokesperson Simeon Brown says.

“Last year, maps provided to the National Party revealed that the Government had marked almost the entire state highway network as not having a ‘safe and appropriate speed’.

“As a result, the Interim State Highway Speed Management plan proposed to lower the speed limits on 500km of our state highways.

“Unless this is stopped, NZTA will keep slashing speed limits on our highways to meet its target of speed reductions on at least 500km of state highways every year.

“Kiwis are sick and tired of Labour’s focus on reducing speeds rather than fixing potholes and the other major damage to our roads.

“Minister Wood may wash his hands of the blanket reductions and point to NZTA, but the buck stops with him as he signed off on the rule change which gave NZTA the increased speed limit powers in the first place.

“If Labour fails to stop their speed limit reduction crusade, National will:

• End Labour’s attempt to reduce all suburban streets to 30kph and all State Highway to 80kph by repealing The Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speeding Limits 2022.
• Ensure that variable speed limits during peak hours around schools are implemented.
• Increase consultation requirements for speed limit changes.
• Review areas of the State Highway Network, which has been reduced to 80kph like the Napier to Taupo road.

“National opposes blanket speed limit reductions and we are encouraging New Zealanders to speak up against this radical proposal, and sign our petition urging the Government to dump it.”