Imagine losing your driver's license because of a mistake someone else made. That's exactly what happened in Wellington, New Zealand, and it's sparking outrage! A council blunder led to 172 drivers being wrongly slapped with speeding fines, and at least one person paid the ultimate price: losing their license. This wasn't just a minor error; it's a case of bureaucratic red tape gone wrong with real-life consequences.
Last week, Wellington City Council sheepishly admitted they messed up the enforcement of a lower speed limit on Aotea Quay. The issue? They didn't follow the proper procedures when changing it. But here's where it gets controversial... was this simply an oversight, or was something else at play?
Let's rewind a bit. In 2023, a temporary 50km/h speed limit was put in place on Aotea Quay, a major road linking Sky Stadium and State Highway 1. This was while a roundabout was being constructed. Before this, the speed limit was a more reasonable 70km/h. Once the roundabout was finished in April 2024, the council decided to make the 50km/h limit permanent, citing the new roundabout as justification.
Now, and this is the part most people miss... the council did install the 50km/h signs and even held a consultation about permanently lowering the speed limit. Seems straightforward, right? Wrong! The council completely failed to submit the speed limit change to the National Speed Limit Register before a new Land Transport Rule came into effect. This new rule, the "Setting of Speed Limits 2024," essentially reversed many recently reduced speed limits back to their original, higher levels.
So, what does this mean in plain English? The 50km/h signs were essentially "not legal."
Emails obtained by Stuff (a New Zealand news outlet) under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act revealed the chaos behind the scenes. Back in September 2024, Siobhan Procter, the council's former chief of infrastructure, informed the police about the speed limit change. A month later, Gordon Keay from the Police Infringement Bureau dropped a bombshell: the council had used the wrong law to change the speed limit!
The result? The police had been unknowingly enforcing an illegal speed limit.
According to Keay, "The 50[km/h] signposted limit in place on Aotea Quay is not legal and as a result police have had to cancel and refund or withdraw from Ministry of Justice jurisdiction a total of 172 speeding infringements." He also highlighted the devastating impact on at least one driver who lost their license due to accumulated demerit points.
The police, understandably, were not happy. As Keay stated, they had been enforcing the limit "in good faith" but had ceased all speed enforcement on Aotea Quay until the mess was sorted out. He even urged the council to immediately remove or cover the illegal 50km/h signs and replace them with the correct 70km/h signs.
Inspector Peter McKennie, acting director of road policing, emphasized that the police rely on the accuracy of speed limits set by local authorities. When inconsistencies are found, they alert the authorities and cancel any wrongly issued tickets.
Currently, the affected stretch of road has no speed limit signs at all.
Wellington City Council, when contacted by Stuff, simply referred back to their previous statement about the public consultation. They maintain that the public is getting a chance to comment on the speed change. However, this consultation seems more like a formality, as the council has implied that without the lower speed limit, the roundabout would have to be rebuilt – a costly and inconvenient option.
The consultation remains open until early December, and a council committee is expected to make a final decision early next year. This raises a crucial question: Is the council genuinely open to changing its mind, or is the consultation just a way to rubber-stamp a decision that has already been made?
Originally published on Stuff.co.nz, this story highlights the potential for bureaucratic errors to have serious consequences on everyday citizens.
Now, here's where things get really interesting. Some might argue that the council was simply trying to improve safety by lowering the speed limit, while others might accuse them of incompetence or even deliberately ignoring proper procedures. What do you think? Was this a genuine mistake, or is there more to the story? And should the council compensate those who were wrongly fined, especially the person who lost their license? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
