Those who read the announcement that the speed limit on the Kapiti ‘Ewy’ was being increased to 110 km/h last November may have assumed it applied to the adjoining Transmission Gully route too. We were among them until we noticed ‘government revenue raisers’ being parked on the pull-off bays and checked again — nope, TG wasn’t part of the increase despite ACT confirming from NZTA in 2023 that the new 4 lane was built to 110 km/h standards. Fortunately, we weren’t zapped before discovering that.
from the NZ Herald
“Where Labour was about slowing New Zealand down, the coalition Government is all about making it easier for people and freight to get from A to B as quickly and efficiently as possible, which will help drive economic growth and improved productivity,” Minister Chris Bishop said.
“Growth, growth, growth,” Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said in his opening remarks at a media gathering to announce the speed limit reversals.
Overnight, a number of speed limits would be returned to their previous, higher limit.
“It’s a great day, it’s a great day for New Zealand,” Bishop said.
Bishop said the 38 roads where the speed limits would increase were chosen because they were easy, long straight stretches of state highways.
He said the first section to have its limit reversed will be a section of State Highway 2 between Featherston and Masterton, “where the speed limit reduction in early 2023 under the previous government met with huge community hostility”. That section of road will retun to 100 km/h from 80 km/h.
Bishop has also released a further list of 49 sections of state highway for further public consultation “so local communities can have their say on keeping their current lower speed limit or returning to the previous higher speed”.
Public consultation on those sections begins tomorrow and will run for six weeks.
“In terms of local road changes, councils have until 1 May 2025 to advise NZTA of the specified roads subject to reversal under the new Rule.”
The new rule also requires variable speed limits outside schools during pick-up and drop-off times.
“We are prioritising the safety of Kiwi kids by introducing reduced speed limits outside schools during pick-up and drop-off times. We want to see these changes brought about quickly,” Bishop said.
“By 1 July 2026, local streets outside a school will be required to have a 30km/h variable speed limit. Rural roads that are outside schools will be required to have variable speed limits of 60km/h or less.
“Throughout the world, 50km/h is used as the right speed limit to keep urban roads flowing smoothly and safely. The evidence on this is clear – comparable countries with the lowest rates of road deaths and serious injuries, such as Norway, Denmark, and Japan, have speed limits of 50km/h on their urban roads, with exceptions for lower speed limits.“
Asked about the impact higher speed limits could have on the road toll, Bishop said the major cause of deaths on the road was drugs and alcohol.