Imagine receiving a speeding ticket, losing your license, and then discovering it was all due to a bureaucratic blunder. That's exactly what happened to at least one driver in Wellington, New Zealand, where a council error led to 172 speeding fines being issued in error. But here's where it gets even more frustrating: the council had mistakenly lowered the speed limit on Aotea Quay, a major road, without following the proper legal procedures. This oversight has sparked a debate about accountability and the impact of such mistakes on everyday citizens.
Last week, the Wellington City Council admitted a glaring mistake: they had incorrectly implemented a lower speed limit on Aotea Quay, rendering it unenforceable. In 2023, the council temporarily reduced the speed limit from 70 km/h to 50 km/h while a roundabout was under construction. Once the roundabout was completed in April 2024, the council decided to make the lower speed limit permanent, citing safety concerns. However, they failed to follow the necessary legal steps, including updating the National Speed Limit Register before new transport rules came into effect.
And this is the part most people miss: the council’s oversight meant the 50 km/h signs were essentially illegal. Emails obtained by Stuff under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act revealed that the council’s former chief of infrastructure, Siobhan Procter, had notified the police about the speed limit change in September 2024. Yet, just a month later, Gordon Keay from the Police Infringement Bureau pointed out the council’s error, stating they had used the wrong legal process to implement the change. As a result, the police had been enforcing an invalid speed limit, leading to 172 wrongful speeding fines.
One driver even lost their license due to accumulating demerit points from one of these erroneous tickets. The police, acting in good faith, have since ceased speed enforcement on Aotea Quay and refunded or withdrawn the fines. Keay recommended removing the illegal 50 km/h signs and replacing them with the legal 70 km/h signs until the issue is resolved. Inspector Peter McKennie, acting director of road policing, emphasized that officers rely on local authorities to set accurate speed limits. When inconsistencies arise, they alert the authorities and rectify any wrongful tickets.
Currently, Aotea Quay has no speed limit signs along its several hundred meters, leaving drivers in a state of confusion. The council has opened a public consultation on the speed limit change, but it seems more like a formality. Without a legally enforceable lower speed limit, the newly built roundabout may need to be redesigned—a costly and time-consuming endeavor. The consultation runs until early December, with a council committee set to make a decision early next year.
But here’s the controversial question: Should the council be held financially responsible for the consequences of their mistake, including potential roundabout redesign costs and compensation for affected drivers? Or is this simply an unfortunate oversight that highlights the need for better procedural checks? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. This story, originally published on Stuff.co.nz, raises important questions about accountability and the human impact of bureaucratic errors.
