Wayne Brown: Auckland mayor says traffic management industry is taking advantage of safety rules

Auckland's mayor says the traffic management industry's taking advantage of New Zealand's safety rules.  

Wayne Brown's commissioned an independent EY report on temporary traffic management. 

It found road work contractors are incentivised to cause maximum disruption for more profit, and legislative change is needed to change the behaviour.  

Brown told Mike Hosking he's trying to change Auckland's approach, but there's so many rules and regulations in the way. 

He says the culture of over-safety is everywhere here and these particular industries are exploiting it to the maximum. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So another crack this morning in Auckland. It's sorting other
mess out that is the road cone policy Mayor's Commission
to report. The report found contractors have little incentive to
work cheaper or faster. Existing rules and regulations centervice contractors
in fact to cause maximum disruption for maximum profits. So
they're very good at what they do. As it turns out,
Wayne Brown's with us morning to you.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Good morning.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
Why can't you guys get on top of this. Why
can't you just issue a couple of instructions, we pay
the bills, you'll do as I say that in.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Well, that's a very good question, and I asked that
about eighteen months ago. And the culture have over safety
is everywhere in New Zealand, and these particular particular industry
is exploiting it to the maximum. And it turns out,
you know, I've given direction to at to start reducing it,
and they've made it some efforts. They had made some money,

(00:50):
save some money, but I'll start charging It turns out
there's a whole stack of rules and the regulations that
get in the road of all that. You know, it's
another case of when we're in passing rules of that
really understanding the ex.

Speaker 1 (01:05):
That was my next question. So they are following Wellington's rule.
So Wellington need to do something about is that fair?

Speaker 2 (01:11):
Well, that's what usually Evans been. In this case, I've
written I've commissioner report because if if I raise it
there what happens is an mot or commissioner report, and
several years later something will happen. So well commissioner report.
It's co quite clearly what has to change. I'm going
to the government. Just do this, not another report, just
do this right. And it's not just a waste of

(01:34):
money and the fact that it's not saving any lives.
It's annoying. Everybody causes people to behave badly. Any feed
up going fives now behind one of those.

Speaker 1 (01:44):
Trucks, Brown, they are the most those guys who run
those trucks with the arrows are the most arrogant people
on the road in my forty five years of driving. Anyway,
be that as it may, iss Sime and Brown on
your side. He seems a reasonable bloke who wants to
crack down.

Speaker 2 (01:58):
Oh he is, and he's picking up on a lot
of things that I'm doing. And if he wants to
fix this and become popular and that's fine with me.
But it's a thing that I've been on ever since
I've got on the door. Not only is a waste
of money and annoying to everybody, but in some cases
it's quite dangerous. If we've got a lot of rural
roads in Auckland as well, and you have to go

(02:19):
down those and every so often there's a set of
cones sitting there with a sign saying thirty k which
everybody ignores and because there's nothing happening, and then eventually
you come to one who there is a hole in
the road and there's an accident exactly because the cone
companies are crying wolf and they're making good money out

(02:40):
of it, and it's really annoying. It goes along with
my campaign against these stupid seismic RvEs with another cost
and burden on Orkland for something that doesn't happen. Either.

Speaker 1 (02:51):
You're going to have to get the sorted by next
year when the election campaign comes around, because you can't
spend the whole time moaning for three years and then
going back to the people saying I'm still more vote
for me again, because that's not going to work for you,
is it.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
Well, that's not what I set out to do. There's
no other worries about so I've commissioned the report. It
doesn't need another report.

Speaker 1 (03:08):
It just do this right. Change these rules. Well, let's
get on it. Let's get on with it sooner rather
than later. Appreciate it very much. Wayne brown Auckland's meal
with us this morning. For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast,
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