Letter: Questions surrounding ‘concrete pads’ outside Apii Takitumu grounds

Kia Orana Editor, Can someone from ICI please explain to me what the purpose of building the two concrete structures out on the road at Takitumu Primary School was/is supposed to serve?

For the life of me, I cannot fathom why one would go to all the trouble (and presumably considerable expense) of chopping down all the ironwood trees, then widening the road to about three times its original width, then covering with asphalt - only to then build two concrete 'jetties' out into the path of oncoming traffic. I would have thought that the purpose of widening the road so significantly was to enable the school buses to pull over to the side to pick up and drop off the kids. Instead, we appear to have a situation where the bus will now stop in the middle of the road to drop the kids onto these concrete walkways. Not only will this block traffic attempting to pass by, but it renders invalid the whole rationale for widening the road in the first place! Not only that, but it's an accident waiting to happen outside school hours when these concrete structures serve no purpose at all.

It reminds me of a previous letter by Paka Worthington where ICI (or whoever was responsible) built a wall and curb right across the area in front of the Avarua slipway, effectively blocking access for users (oe vaka, fisherfolk and divers and creating a bottleneck at the roundabout. Paka described this accurately as 'creating a problem where there was previously none'.

I look forward to an explanation of the situation here at Takitumu School, because unfortunately, try as I might, I just cannot see the logic of it.

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