Hugh Goddard: Pipeline & Civil Ltd owner on the increase in road rage at traffic stops

A survey of roadworkers has found many face routine abuse, attacks, and some are even purposely hit by cars, according to new reports.

The survey, which was run by Temporary Traffic Management Industry Steering Group, included 667 workers across New Zealand who described their experiences with verbal abuse and physical assault.

Pipeline & Civil Ltd owner Hugh Goddard says he's heard his staff have been yelled at, almost hit by vehicles - and nearly faced physical abuse.

"I wasn't involved in the development of the survey, but I know over 700 TTM workers in New Zealand who responded in the survey, which is a significant sample. And that's the feedback that's coming through, so it's very much a real issue."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
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Speaker 2 (00:16):
Now.

Speaker 3 (00:16):
Road rage at traffic stops is apparently getting out of control.
A new sector survey shows that two thirds of New
Zealand's traffic controllers a coppying abuse on a weekly basis,
and one in five traffic workers one in five have
been physically assaulted in the last year, with some even
being struck by vehicles. Now, Hugh Gotad as the owner
of Pipeline and Civil, which is a maintenance and repair
company and with us.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Now, hey Hugh, Hey there, Heather, thanks for having me one,
thanks for joining us.

Speaker 3 (00:41):
Have your workers experienced this kind of thing?

Speaker 2 (00:44):
Yeah, definitely.

Speaker 4 (00:45):
Yeah, it's a real challenge out there across the wide
industry as well as an Arab business.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
So, I mean we've had staff being yelled at.

Speaker 4 (00:53):
You know, almost hit you know, by vehicles on the road,
and and even you know, to the point of almost
physical abuse.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
Certainly a lot of verbal abuse.

Speaker 4 (01:03):
Drivers moving cons into live lanes while cars are coming
in the other way.

Speaker 2 (01:07):
Just quite challenge of behavior out there.

Speaker 3 (01:11):
Is it as like as frequently as the survey suggests.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 4 (01:15):
I think, you know, I wasn't involved in development the survey,
but I know over seven hundred TTM workers in New
Zealand responded to the survey, which is which is a
significant sample, and and that's the feedback that's coming through.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
So it's very much a real issue.

Speaker 3 (01:29):
What's causing it? Why are people behaving like this?

Speaker 4 (01:33):
Well, I just wonder whether I mean, there's obviously been
a big discussion topic in the media and in the
public around heavy traffic management, and you know, you know,
people are frustrated, which which is totally understandable. You know,
they see you know, cons and and they obviously see
red at the same time.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
And I think it's you know, it is a challenge
out there, but I.

Speaker 4 (01:54):
Think it's sort of trying to reframe this thinking to
look at investment and infrastructure as a positive and roadworks
as being part of that.

Speaker 3 (02:01):
Okay, is it So? Are you saying it's just a
general frustration with the sheer number of cones that we
see rather than something that that particular road worker is doing.
All that particular is happening at that particular site.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
I believe.

Speaker 4 (02:14):
So I think that, you know, and there's also I
guess challenges around you know, whether.

Speaker 2 (02:18):
The site is active. You know, could be a night.

Speaker 4 (02:20):
Work site that's just being maintained during the day and
they and they obviously can't they have to leave the
TTM equipment on the road, so you know, they think
nothing's happening, but actually, you know, there are works occurring,
or you know this the ship seal of the surfacing
is being is curing or things like that, which which
obviously can't cause frustration, especially if they don't see things

(02:41):
happening at that moment in time.

Speaker 2 (02:43):
But it's certainly I mean, these are real people.

Speaker 4 (02:45):
They're like you or I, trying to do a job,
trying to earn a cross, to feed their families. You know,
they're not going out of their way to you know,
stop people getting to them from work or affect their lives.

Speaker 3 (02:56):
I'd like to think that most people are actually decent,
maybe a little frustrated, but decent about it and understanding
it's just a few bad eggs letting us down.

Speaker 4 (03:03):
What do you think, Well, I think that's certain an aspect,
but the volume of ROLD work abuse has definitely seen
an increase, and I think it's an area that needs
to be addressed and we need public support in doing that.

Speaker 3 (03:18):
Yeah, Hugh, it's good to talk to you. Thank you
very much. Appreciate it, mate. That's you got to add
Pipeline and Civil Limited owner.

Speaker 1 (03:23):
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