Bl***dy crap NZ roads

**Fluffy Cat** · 16th January 2010, 18:13

Originally Posted by Elysium

The ancient Romans built better roads.

Quite right. Then they went back to where they came from and look what happened!!!!!

**red mermaid** · 16th January 2010, 18:30

Sounds like it comes down to cost, and we get what we pay for.

So if we are prepared to pay more through taxes, rates, vehicle registration, goods transported by road, etc, then we will get better roads.

**Elysium** · 16th January 2010, 18:42

Originally Posted by red mermaid

Sounds like it comes down to cost, and we get what we pay for.

So if we are prepared to pay more through taxes, rates, vehicle registration, goods transported by road, etc, then we will get better roads.

We already pay more, but aint going to the roads that's for sure.

**red mermaid** · 16th January 2010, 18:50

Yeah but from what I've been told we have a very difficult country for roading.

Lots of hills, rivers, for the size of the land area requiring a lot of bridges and other engineering.

**James Deuce** · 16th January 2010, 19:15

When we had a smaller population and a smaller tax take per capita and roading was carried out by a supposedly inefficient Government Dept., we had quality roads that didn't melt in Summer and we carried out enormous engineering projects.

**Bonez** · 16th January 2010, 19:22

Bring back the trains!!!

**swbarnett** · 16th January 2010, 20:55

Originally Posted by Elysium

The ancient Romans built better roads.

Maybe for the speeds they could achieve at the time but I'd hazard a guess that they wouldn't stand up to today's traffic for long.

**swbarnett** · 16th January 2010, 20:57

Originally Posted by Bonez

Bring back the trains!!!

Exactly! The roads are worse now than before the 150km restriction on trucks was lifted.

**SPman** · 17th January 2010, 00:29

Originally Posted by swbarnett

Unfortunately, there is a very simple answer to this.

New Zealand has mediocre roads. Large country (268,021 square km) relative to a small population (4,350,377) and we travel a lot (also, we allow large trucks to chew up the roads).

just can't afford to maintain all of our roads to the same standard.

West Australia has mediocre roads. Large country (2,500,000 square km) relative to a small population (2,500,000) and we travel a lot (also, we allow large trucks to chew up the roads). But at least they stay intact in 45 degree heat without any bleed out! - They even survive bushfires. And the road outside our place is just a sealed gravel road, and it's fine - narrow sealed strip, but a good chip surface.
NZ and NZ ers are quite prepared to accept shitty second rate services and then complain about the cost! - it's cheaper to do it right the first time round!

Yeah but from what I've been told we have a very difficult country for roading.
Lots of hills, rivers, for the size of the land area requiring a lot of bridges and other engineering.

Still no excuse for inferior surfaces though.

**shrub** · 17th January 2010, 06:06

Originally Posted by Ixion

Transit are aware of this. BRONZ has repeatedly drawn their attention to it. They know it has killed people. Their response: they have commsisioned three studies into it .

Can you give me the data to support that? That is a very powerful argument and if that's true I see no reason why we can't launch a campaign to change the surface in key areas. If you can't, let me know because I have access to damn near all the research there is on road safety and can find it, but no point if you have it to hand.

**shrub** · 17th January 2010, 06:06

Originally Posted by Ixion

Transit are aware of this. BRONZ has repeatedly drawn their attention to it. They know it has killed people. Their response: they have commsisioned three studies into it .

Can you give me the data to support that? That is a very powerful argument and if that's true I see no reason why we can't launch a campaign to change the surfaces in key areas at least. If you can't, let me know because I have access to damn near all the research there is on road safety and can find it, but no point if you have it to hand.

**shrub** · 17th January 2010, 06:09

Originally Posted by James Deuce

When we had a smaller population and a smaller tax take per capita and roading was carried out by a supposedly inefficient Government Dept., we had quality roads that didn't melt in Summer and we carried out enormous engineering projects.

Yes, that's all very well, but did anyone make a profit in those days? Of course not. Get real, good roads/services/infrastructure are a wonderful idea, but what's the point if nobody makes a profit?

**awayatc** · 17th January 2010, 07:14

Coastal shipping...........?
Railways..............?

or shal we increase the maximum weightlimit on trucks to destroy the last remaining bit of intact tarseal?

**rebel** · 17th January 2010, 09:07

Originally Posted by awayatc

Coastal shipping...........?
Railways..............?

or shal we increase the maximum weightlimit on trucks to destroy the last remaining bit of intact tarseal?

Why blame trucks? They already pay more than their fair share for using the roads and fuck all get put back into it. If they actually built the roads designed for all users we wouldn't have this issue. Are they trying to create jobs by resealing every 6 months? How long do you give the current project just north of Waikanae to turn to shit once it's finished. I will be counting.
You wouldn't design a dirt bike that would crack the frame after the first ride would ya.

After my old CBR250 spun the back wheel in 6th gear at 80kmh uphill on wet melted tar I've taken it a bit easy around the stuff.