Care urged on Ruapehu roads over summer

Drive to the conditions and visit Ruapehu safely over the holiday period is the message from Ruapehu District Council’s Land Transport Team.

Land Transport Manager Warren Furner said that Council was expecting Ruapehu roads to be very busy over the summer period and was asking all motorists to drive with care, keep their speed down, and have patience at any holdups such as road works or stock on the road.

“Ruapehu is getting increasingly popular as a summer holiday destination with one of the impacts being growing volumes of new traffic on our rural roads such as camper vans and cyclists,” he said.

“We are especially asking local residents and truck drivers to keep an eye out for visitors and tourists who don’t know the area and are probably not experienced with driving on our roads which can have stock on them or be narrow, windy and unsealed.

The maturing of forestry plantations around the central North Island is also seeing increasing numbers of logging trucks along with the usual stock trucks and other farm vehicles on our roads.”

Mr Furner said that summer was also when the bulk of road repairs and maintenance was done and as such there would be road crews working around Ruapehu over summer.

“All motorists are urged to obey any temporary road work signage such as reduced speed limits and to pass road work crews with extreme care.”

“If anyone comes across any local road safety issues over the holiday break they are asked to advise Council on 07 895 8188 (24/7).”

“For State Highway information people can call 0800 4HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49) or visit or:

• www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/regions/8
• www.facebook.com/nztacni
• www.twitter.com/NZTACNI

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