This Friday is HONK DAY!

This Friday is HONK DAY!

On the first time pip coming up to 8am this Friday, Auckland’s commuters are all being asked to sound off on their car and truck horns.

“We’ve dubbed this Friday HONK DAY!” said Alasdair Thompson, chief executive of the Employers & Manufacturers Association (Northern)

“HONK DAY is to get everybody involved in the REVUP campaign.

“The campaign is to send a message to Wellington that Auckland needs its transport crisis fixed.

“To help our politicians hear the message loud and clear we want everybody to blow their car horns this Friday at 8am.

“The more people joining in, the louder the message.

“The Herald on Sunday – Digipoll last week showed Aucklanders rank transport three times more important than tax cuts.

“58.2% of us say transport and infrastructure is the most important election issue, ahead of tax cuts at 19.9%. The result backed up a survey by the AA two years that showed traffic congestion to be the region’s number one headache.

“EMA’s surveys have found people are really concerned about the time it takes to get to work. It’s cutting deeply into our work life balance.

“Two years ago the Government announced the special transport package of $1.6 billion extra for Auckland over 10 years to accelerate the construction of transport projects, but nothing extra happened.

“The top priority Mt Roskill extension and Manukau projects on SH20 were shelved again and again.

“Work on both the Alpurt bypass of Orewa and the Waiouru peninsula link near Manukau City required hard lobbying from their respective mayors.

“Neither has any progress been made to build much needed, better public transport systems.

“It was no coincidence that Dr Cullen’s announcement of $544 million more for transport three weeks ago came just a week after the REVUP campaign was launched.

“Then last week the minor changes to the RMA were rushed through Parliament.

“On their own they won’t be enough to accelerate the transport projects needed but they do show the political sensitivity of transport this election.

“We urge Aucklanders to show they support faster transport work by sounding off on their horns this Friday because, horns this Friday morning at 8am. The only way Aucklanders will get a fair deal from Wellington is to make a noise the politicians can’t ignore.”

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