A group set up to get action on a stretch of road between Tauranga and Katikati says it is not ruling out direct protests to get its point across.
Image from the Fix the Bloody Road campaign group on Facebook. Photo: Fix the Bloody Road
The Fix the Bloody Road campaign group said in the last seven years 30 people have died on the road and many have been injured.
It wants a four lane highway built on State Highway 2.
Andrew Hollis Photo: Supplied / Andrew Hollis
The group's founder, Andrew Hollis, said the community was feeling outraged that they were not being taken seriously.
"Our lives don't seem to matter and road safety is secondary to economic considerations."
"We want to involve the community as much as we can so our voice is heard," he said.
The first stage of action are what he calls soft protests, Mr Hollis said.
These include putting up 30 large white crosses in three areas along the route and a social media campaign.
"This is to alert the community about what has been going on on the road."
Mr Hollis said a public meeting was likely to be held in April and it was hoped Minister of Transport Phil Twyford would attend.
A sign on the stretch of road on State Highway 2. Photo: RNZ / Andrew McRae
"We want to give all the stakeholders the opportunity to do what we think is the right thing."
If there is no suitable progress, the group then intends initiating the final stage of its plan - direct protest action.
Mr Hollis said a march and blocking roads will be considered.
"It's a last resort."
"We have a few plans but I am keeping that to myself at the moment," he said.
The volume of traffic has exceeded the suitability of the road, Mr Hollis said.
And he said various safety improvements along the route proposed by the Transport Agency is nothing more than a band-aid solution.
