A public survey to measure the hotly contested Matiatia summer traffic trial was urgently requested at the January local board meeting. But six weeks later it’s not quite ready, with a release date set for 17 March.
“We are not far out from the trial ending now, this survey is way too late because the board failed to set a date or make a deadline,” says Easy Transport Waiheke owner Sascha Krueger.
“So, here we are with Auckland Transport again getting its way.”
Local board chairperson Cath Handley said at the January meeting that she would like to bring the trial survey and formal evaluation forward, “and use early insight to determine how to make changes to remediate what we have heard tonight”.
Although the survey is yet to be rolled out, Ms Handley says she believes it has happened in a timely manner.
People will have three weeks to complete the survey, which will include questions relating to the effectiveness of the trial. It will close on 7 April, after which it will take some time to collate the data, meaning that aspects of the trial are likely to drag on long after its official end on 13 April.
Mr Krueger, along with many other Waiheke-based taxi and tour company owners and drivers have expressed upset over the trial since its inception on 8 December last year.
Their chagrin stems from the fact that the taxi rank was moved from its prior location across the road from the ferry terminal building to the 30-minute carpark area some distance away. They also raised concerns about Fullers having a competitive advantage with signage and Explorer buses allowed in the keyhole at the ferry terminal. Some laid complaints with the Commerce Commission. • Sophie Boladeras
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