A local mother, with her 12-week-old baby in a pushchair, fell on Whitford Rd whilst out walking, severely injuring both her knees.
Her first thought was with her baby and the possibility of the infant being injured or worse. The baby was strapped in with a harness as the mother went flying.
The mother, whose identity the Times has withheld, is angry people are being put at risk as a result of shoddy, unmaintained footpaths and walkways, and criticised the way Auckland Council dealt with the incident report.
“Today I reported the incident to the council and am very frustrated by their simplistic admin approach.
Thanks for letting us know, here’s a ref number, bye. It’s actually not good enough. We pay rates to ensure that basics such as safe paving is available to us. Who will be accountable? Who will apologise? Who will ensure this doesn’t happen to another person?” she said.
“I guess ACC will pick up any medical fees for me and the council will be able to sweep it under the carpet. I’m angry and frustrated.”
Council contractor Fulton Hogan has since remedied the affected area.
A Times source questioned whether Auckland Council is prioritising the improvement of footpaths; “Council is spending a lot of money on cycleways. What about footpaths?”
After hearing of similar stories around Howick, the Times conducted a brief reconnaissance in the area and noted tree roots have overcome footpaths in many places, making them unstable and potentially dangerous.
Could it be that Liquid Amber-loving locals are reluctant to report dangerous footpath’s in east Auckland’s leafier suburbs?
Do you feel pavements are being maintained properly in your area? E-mail jim@times.co.nz with your pictures and thoughts.
