Some sense at last!

[Berries]

Don't worry, once your favourite rural road has its speed limit dropped to 80km/h any passing lanes will be 'repurposed' into slow vehicle lanes anyway.

[FJRider]

Wonder who was the genius that decided all the passing lanes should be blocked off? Possibly a relative of the person with the plastics factory making a killing on road cones and marker poles.

Police don't have the authority to do that. So it's either Transit NZ (for State highways) or local Government for the other roads.

[Berries]

Some explanation as to why NZTA do it in link below but to summarise, NZ drivers can't merge for shit and are inconsiderate pricks at the best of times.

Officials-to-close-passing-lanes

[Stylo]

Someone that has seen all the numpties that can't merge at the end. They have been doing this for years, going north of Auckland. From what I have heard, it actually does a reasonable job of not making a shit situation worse.

Perhaps we need to educate people how to use their cell phones better while driving in traffic. A few seconds looking down at your latest in-box message on FB will never cause any harm.

[pritch]

When a length of SH3 locally was designated 80kph the passing lanes were removed. There is just a single lane each way now with a lot of waste space. I asked and was told that we don't have passing lanes in 80kph areas.

[jellywrestler]

Perhaps we need to educate people how to use their cell phones better while driving in traffic. A few seconds looking down at your latest in-box message on FB will never cause any harm.

If they were serious about eliminating cell phone use they would put signs on some traffic lights outlining the rules, captive audience etc. Cell phone deaths can be easily blamed on speed, speed deaths mean they can justify a drop in the speed limit simply.