Chris Bishop: Transport Minister on the new speed limits, the focus on drunk and drugged drivers

The Transport Minister says the Government's more focused on drunk and drugged drivers than speed limits.  

The Government has reversed the first of 38 speed limit reductions across the country's State Highways.  

The rest are due to come into force before July, while another 49 sections of road are open for public consultation.  

Transport Minister Chris Bishop told Mike Hosking his goal is to address what he claims is the number one killer on New Zealand roads: drugs and alcohol.  

He says the country is being brought into line with other jurisdictions with roadside drug testing and increased breath testing. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So a lot of us might be moving just a
little bit faster into our day to day as of midnight.
Whole bunch of speed limits that the last government cut
got back in place, a lot of eighties went to
one hundred some roads in fact increased by some thirty cage.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop well.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
This morning, good morning.

Speaker 1 (00:14):
One headline I noticed yesterday because the media don't quite
understand how these things work, took the mickey out of
you over your excitement over three minutes, not understanding that
if hundreds of thousands of cars travel three minutes faster,
that's actually quite impactful, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Oh it's huge. I mean, did you just think about
the wire Rapper where we were. It's ten thousand cars
on that or vehicles on that Stretcher Road State Highway too.
You know that's the long Stretcher Road over the hill
from Wellington, Featherston Carterton. Great how three minutes. Well, you
know that's a difference to the individual driver or the
trucke or the trade doing the trip. But you know
it's ten thousand cars and vehicle movements on that Stretcher
Road and then of course around the country as well,

(00:50):
all these things add up, and if we want to
grow an economy, and we're talking about productivity and getting
this country going again, we've got to do everything that
we can. We've got to do every little bit all
added up and it will make a real difference.

Speaker 1 (01:01):
The fear is over deaths.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
You say, what, Well, the number one cause of death
on our roads is drugs and alcohol and that's what
we're really focused on. So thirty percent of in the
last three years on our roads were caused by people
who were driving with drugs in their system, and so
that's why we're introducing roadside drug testing. In fact, we
had the second reading of that bill just a couple

(01:23):
of days ago. The last government had an attempt at it,
but they've passed a flawed piece of legislation, so we're
fixing it up. But how crazy is it that you
can drive around whilst high in New Zealand right now
and you never get tested, and you know, you never
get tested, and so unsurprisingly a whole bunch of people
do it. So we're bringing New Zealand into line with
a lot of other jurisdictions with roadside drug testing, and
we're also increasing breast testing as well, so the last

(01:45):
government basically let things slip with breast testing. Some years
they were in charge, the police didn't even use their
budget that they were given for breast testing. We've increased
the budget, but we've also put in place performance requirements
to make the police do them. And I can tell
you that they are getting on and doing them. And
people we might might have noticed that there's been a
been a noticeable uptack and breath test around the place.

Speaker 1 (02:06):
Good, good, good, where you and I part company. Then
I took to the Prime Minister about this on Tuesday.
What's with this consultation on the roads? Well with speed limits?
Why what are you looking to find from consultation other
than people support you or don't.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
Well, the law requires that we consult on some things.
We've moved as quickly as humanly possible. Transport rule setting
is an extremely complicated and technical process. We've gone as
quickly as we can. And I know you're interested in
one hundred and ten north of Auckland, Mike. I heard
the interview. We're just starting the eyes and crossing the
t's watch the space and I'll send you a personal

(02:41):
invitation to drive on the one hundred and ten are driving.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
One hundred and ten. That's probably illegal, say, but that's
the point. So does everybody because they thought that was
what was going to happen. Meantime, the cops at the
bottom of the slope pulling you for one hundred and four.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
Yeah, I've heard the complaints. Look, the roads built to
one hundred and ten and we're going to do it.
We're going to make it happen. We campaigned on it
and we're a government that delivers on our promises. So
watch the space.

Speaker 1 (03:05):
As Leader of the House, you worried about Jones and
Peters as to what happened this week.

Speaker 2 (03:10):
Oh, I think it's just a bit of rough and tumble.
But everyone's keen to get back into it after a
long break over the summer, and so look, I'm not
too worried about it. But as I said to a
few people yesterday, look, you know we've got to remain
civil in the Parliament. But it's a bit of a
rough and tumble. At the end of the day, it's
a robust debating chamber and you know there's been worse
things said in parliament before.

Speaker 1 (03:29):
All right, appreciate your time as always. Chris Bishop, who's
the Leader of the House and of course, Transport minist
For more from the mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to
news talks. It'd be from six am weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio