Anyone wanting to speak with NZTA over the phone now has to wait 26 times longer than just five years ago, National’s Transport spokesperson Simeon Brown says.

“In October 2017, the average wait time for NZTA to pick up the phone was 40 seconds. However, by October 2022, the average wait time had skyrocketed to longer than 18 minutes.

“This is an unacceptable blowout, especially as NZTA have added 1,000 staff in the past five years.

“It is essential that Kiwis can efficiently contact NZTA. Issues range from reporting major road hazards and potholes, to licensing, registrations and warrant of fitness queries.

“Kiwis need to know that someone will listen and respond to their urgent inquiries, and they won’t have to wait 18 minutes or more when the tar is sticking to their tyres, as happened on State Highway 1 through the Dome Valley in December.

“The longer it takes to get in touch, the more likely that people will simply give up and hang up.

“Longer waiting times are emblematic of Labour’s entire approach to transport, which is to throw millions more on a ballooning bureaucracy while not having clear targets to get the basics right.

“Kiwis are sick and tired of the potholes peppering our state highways, and they see things getting worse, not better, on our roads.

“Labour needs to get the basics of call times and pothole repairs right for Kiwis rather than pouring all its effort into pet projects."

WPQ: 40855 (2022) – NZTA call wait times

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