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 (00:00):
Now road rage at traffic stops is apparently getting out
of control. A new sector survey shows that two thirds
of New Zealand's traffic control is a copping 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 Godad
as the owner of Pipeline and Civil, which is a
maintenance and repair company and with us now, hey Hugh.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Hey there, Heather, thanks for having me on.

Speaker 3 (00:23):
Yeah, thanks for joining us. Have your workers experienced this
kind of thing?

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Yes, definitely. Yeah, it's a real challenge out there across
the wider industry as well as in our business. So,
I mean we've had staff being yelled at, you know,
almost hit by vehicles on the road, and and even
you know to the point of almost physical abuse. Certainly
a lot of verbal abuse. Drivers moving cones into live

(00:48):
lanes while cars are coming in the other way. Just yeah,
quite challenge your behavior out there.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
Is it as like as frequently as the survey suggests?

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Yeah? Absolutely, 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. So it's very much a real issue.

Speaker 3 (01:13):
What's causing it? Why are people behaving like this?

Speaker 2 (01:16):
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. And I think it's you know,
it is a challenge out there, but I think it's

(01:38):
sort of trying to reframe this thinking to look at
investment in infrastructure as a positive and roadworks as being
part of that.

Speaker 3 (01:45):
Okay, 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 roadworker is doing or that
particular is happening at that particular site.

Speaker 2 (01:57):
I believe. So I think that, you know, and there's
also guess challenges around you know, whether the site is active,
you know, could be a night 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, the ship seal
of the surfacing is being is curing or things like that,

(02:20):
which which obviously can't cause frustration, especially if they don't
see things happening at that moment in time. But it's
certainly I mean, these are real people. They're like you
or I, trying to do a job, trying to earn
across 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 1 (02:39):
I'd like to think that most people are actually decent,
maybe a little frustrated, but decent about it and understand
it's just a few bad eggs letting us down.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
What do you think, Well, I think that's certainly an aspect,
but the volume of roadwork 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 (03:01):
Yeah, Hugh, it's good to talk to you.

Speaker 1 (03:03):
Thank you very much, appreciate it, mate, that's you gotta
add pipeline and Civil Limited owner. For more from Hither
Duplessy Allen Drive Listen live to news talks.

Speaker 2 (03:11):
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