Record numbers of skiers cause traffic issues for Ruapehu

Tuesday, 18 July 2017

There was a mixed response to the new Park 'n Ride Service on offer to visitors to the ski fields.

Congestion on roads around North Island ski fields over the weekend has hampered emergency services and angered residents.

National Park Community Board member Simon O'Neil who is also a member of the National Park and Whakapapa Fire Emergency NZ accused the Ruapehu District Council and Ruapehu Alpine Lifts [RAL] of contributing to the traffic jams by encouraging people to use its new Park 'n Ride Service.

His comments are at odds with Ruapehu District Council Land Transport Manager Warren Furner who said things went 'really well' for the first weekend of the new service. He said comments from people on the buses and on social media were 'overwhelmingly positive'.

'It was a perfect weekend to trial the new park and ride service with fine weather after a big dump of fresh snow,' he said.

O'Neil said emergency services were unable to get onto the road with traffic backed up 6km along SH48.

'With traffic so congested that emergency service vehicles couldn't get onto the road let alone along it (and) RAL encouraging people to come to Whakapapa until the car parks were actually full and then promoting the buses.

'This is not the first time that it [the council] has released information like this with only a slight resemblance to reality.'

Over 7000 people used RAL's free Park 'n Ride service from Ohakune and National Park Village to Turoa and Whakapapa ski areas over the weekend.

'The free park and ride service made a big difference in resolving the type of traffic issues that we would normally expect on the mountain roads under these conditions,' Furner said.

Furner said the few issues included parking congestion in the Ohakune CBD and at the National Park Railway Station including people using parking spaces at the Ohakune New World and National Park Station Café Restaurant.

He said the bus service took an estimated 3,000 cars off the roads in the Tongariro National Park over the weekend.

'We are very confident that the few issues that did occur over the weekend will be ironed out and the free park and ride service will be a great success that helps to enhance the visitor experience.'

Skier Lucy Conway said friends spent two hours waiting to get up the mountain to Whakapapa in the shuttle.

Ross Copland, CEO for Ruapehu Alpine Lifts said congestion was caused by ill-equipped and inexperienced drivers of private vehicles who chose not to use the free park and ride service.

He said staff and contractors cleared five vehicles off Bruce Rd [Whakapapa ski access road] on Saturday and he personally saw a vehicle crash on Sunday morning which caused a 20 minute delay.

'RAL staff provided real time updates via our app' and web page and regular live Facebook videos outlining conditions on the road, where to catch shuttles and when the carparks were near full.

'I am extremely proud of the service the team provided provided on a massive weekend during the middle of school holidays.'