- By Laura Kvigstad, Auckland Council reporter funded by New Zealand on Air
Auckland Transport is reporting success after the first week of its pothole promise, and some Auckland councillors are suggesting a phone hotline to keep momentum going.
At the Auckland Council’s transport, resilience and infrastructure committee meeting on November 7, Auckland Transport (AT) told the members of its recent success with its ‘pothole’ promise.
AT has made a recent promise to Aucklanders to repair 95 per cent of potholes within 24 hours of notification on the busiest roads and within five working days on other sealed roads.
AT chief executive Dean Kimpton said that it had exceeded its target in the first 10 days of the promise.
“Ninety-seven per cent of all potholes reported, 384 in the first week, achieved the deadline,” Kimpton said.
“Many sceptics would have said there wasn’t a snowflakes hope.
“Weve just proven everybody wrong in the first 10 days’,” Kimpton said.
Councillor Lotu Fuli asked what options were there for the public to report potholes to AT.
“I know in my area they’re probably not reporting. Is there a pothole hotline or an AI?” she asked.
Councillor Richard Hills quipped that it should be called a “pot-line”.
Kimpton responded that there was a pothole promise online tool for the public to report with.
“There’s a lot of play on words here. I’m trying to avoid all of them.
“I’m not very good at this stuff because sometimes I say it wrong,” Kimpton said.
- Aucklanders can report potholes through AT’s website www.at.govt.nz or by calling 09 355 3553 if there is an immediate risk to safety.