The car that caught fire on Transmission Gully on Thursday shows the risks of not having complete cellphone coverage on that stretch of State Highway 1, said one motorist who witnessed the blaze.
“Once you reach the top of that hill there’s actually no coverage at all. It’s so dangerous,” said Francess Olivia Carr, who drives over Transmission Gully several times a week from her home in Ōtaki.
”Surely they can put some towers in there. It’s been built for a long time, I don’t understand why nothing’s been done,” said Carr, who filmed the incident.
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Transmission Gully officially opened in March 2022. As early as September 2021 concerns were being raised about black spots in coverage along the motorway’s route.
At the time, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency spokesperson Andrew Thackwray confirmed there were sections of the motorway without mobile phone coverage.
Ventia, the subcontractor responsible for the operation and maintenance of the road, had been discussing the issue with emergency services for several months, The Dominion Post reported.
Francess Carr/Supplied
A car caught fire after climbing the Wainui saddle in transmission Gully on Thursday.
Prior to the motorway’s opening Sergio Mejía, chief executive of Wellington Gateway Partnership, which held the Transmission Gully contract, said steps were being taken to boost the radio and mobile signals.
“NZ Police are looking to install an additional radio repeater along the route to strengthen their communications, and Waka Kotahi is discussing the possible future provision of coverage along Transmission Gully with mobile network operators,” he said last year.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency had been approached for comment.
The car burst caught fire on Thursday afternoon, just beyond the Wainui saddle ahead of the runaway vehicle lane.
Firefighters and police were called to the incident, but no one was injured.
In early October a truck was reduced to a burnt out shell after it caught fire on the motorway between Paekākāriki and Pāutahanui. No one was injured in the October incident.
Supplied
Firefighters attempt to control major truck fire on Transmission Gully, north of Wellington.
Carr said she was concerned that the gradients on the motorway were creating issues for motorists and leading to incidents of over heating vehicles.
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“I just don’t understand why it needed to be so steep. I need to get a run-up to 120kmh before I hit it otherwise my car won’t make it up the hill.,” Carr said.
