- By Laura Kvigstad, Auckland Council reporter funded by New Zealand on Air
Auckland Transport has made a promise to Aucklanders that it will repair 95 per cent of potholes within 24 hours of notification on the busiest roads.
While high-volume sealed roads will have a short window to be fixed, Auckland Transport (AT) has said the 24-hour response time is not possible for all roads.
Potholes on all other sealed roads would be repaired in five working days.
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has said it is an excellent initiative that he hoped AT can deliver on.
“I encourage Aucklanders to be proactive about reporting potholes and also reporting any cases where it has taken longer to get them fixed than promised,” Brown says.
At Auckland Council’s rural advisory panel, chair Andy Baker recently spoke to the panel’s members about the news.
“For the rural areas it’s within five days and that’s because they’re not going to send a truck out to Āwhitu to do one pothole.
“They will be looking at the economics of it,” Baker said.
“I was out with them the other day watching contractors. They have actually got a new way of doing things now.
“They put in hot mix, they pack that and then they have got these patches that they put over the top.”
Baker said the “sticking plasters” were a good option because they have longevity and would provide resilience to the road network.
Aucklanders can report potholes through AT’s website using an online form or by calling 09 355 3553 if there is an immediate risk to safety.
