Waka Kotahi needs to review its closure policy and risk profiles for managing Auckland’s Harbour Bridge as yet another day of productivity is lost to Auckland’s economy, said the EMA.
"Effectively, what we see now is almost scare-mongering behaviour from NZTA. Worried North Shore residents either stay home or leave work early because the New Zealand Transport Agency might close or reduce access to the Harbour Bridge," said Alan McDonald, EMA Head of Advocacy, Strategy and Finance.
"The current policy continues to look like a knee-jerk overreaction to the one serious damage accident we’ve had in 70 years of bridge operation.”
McDonald continued that what was seen as people streaming home to the North Shore after NZTA continually warned of strong winds that had failed to eventuate.
According to McDonald, people were going home not because of the weather but because they were worried about being stranded or heavily delayed by the over-cautious approach to managing the bridge.
McDonald added that accepting closures because of weather conditions was given in extreme weather, and more extreme weather events were expected.
"But we also know NZTA has lowered its risk thresholds for weather-related closures, and it increasingly appears that those thresholds are simply too low. Those thresholds need to be revisited."
Businesses in the central city and workplaces around the greater Auckland region cannot manage further disruptions to their workforces and businesses on the off-chance the bridge might close. Those closures also create further delays for critical freight moving to and from Northland and through the Auckland region from other major centres.
