Govt puts new motorways ahead of road safety

New Zealanders will be shocked and horrified that the Minister of Transport sees increasing the speed and flow of cars as a higher priority than improving safety for people riding bikes, said the Green Party today.

A New Zealand Transport Agency report on cycle safety shows that there are funding constraints in the transport sector and 'congestion reduction' has been prioritised ahead of road safety.

Green Party spokesperson on walking and cycling, Kevin Hague, said that it was a particularly twisted set of priorities that valued human life lower than time-saving.

"The irony is that the Government's new and expensive motorways are not going to reduce congestion. Making it easier and cheaper to drive at peak hour will just result in more people driving.

"Making it safer and more attractive to cycle is actually a much more cost-effective way to reduce congestion than widening roads.

"It would also save New Zealanders a lot of money to have the choice to take their bicycles, and be better for the economy and public health.

"The Minister's claim that reducing congestion improves safety is also entirely baseless, as wider roads result in increased traffic speeds off-peak, and higher speeds are riskier for those in and out of cars.

"Safety isn't just about road rules and culture — it has a lot to do with engineering. If the New Zealand Transport Agency doesn't make safety a priority, we are guaranteed to have more tragic accidents, often the result of people unintentionally driving dangerously because of the road design.

"Safer cycling and walking is a smarter way to spend our transport dollars.

"We can have safer, cheaper and greener ways of getting around — but for that to happen the Government needs to change its funding priorities to look after people, not just the trucking lobby," said Mr Hague.