Fiordland locals have been pushing, with backing from Southland MP Joseph Mooney, for the government to create safe pull over bays or passing lanes between Queenstown and Milford.

The community says there are currently none of these on the busy stretch between Queenstown and Milford where Police are very concerned about safety and driver behaviour.

Slower drivers, often unfamiliar with the roads, can be a problem as well as speedsters, causing frustration for long lines of drivers trapped behind them.

John Turner, who first started looking into the issue as part of a Mossburn Lions project a number of years ago, says the call for action has been fully supported by the local National Party branch, the Police and the Mossburn and Te Anau Fire Brigades, as well as the local community.

Turner was copied into an email letter addressed to Mooney yesterday (13 Jan) from Transport Minister Chris Bishop.

It states that an area of concern for speeding and dangerous driving between Mossburn and Te Anau was considered at the “lower end of the scale” in terms of safety risk due to the vehicle numbers.

John Turner is advocating for passing lanes on the road from Queenstown to Milford Sound. Photo: Southland App

Turner says that road “may be low risk in terms of their calculations”, but a number of times it’s been the local fire brigades who’ve supported the community and had to clean up the mess.

“The road is riddled with tourists travelling slowly, watching the views, especially from campervans."

"We consider it very high risk with the near misses we’ve seen."

“Tourists build up behind these people and wait, taking undue risks to pass. I’ve seen some terrible, terrible incidents, near head ons.”

He says a truck and trailer unit carrying a load of cattle tipped over on Gorge Hill in last month (December) while trying to pull over to let traffic by.

The two pull over bays they’ve requested would cost less than $500,000 and Turner says that’s “a low cost in comparison to the potential ACC payouts”.

Bishop’s letter says NZTA staff have told him full passing lanes are required when traffic volumes reach more than 4000 a day.

The department’s latest figures on that stretch showed volumes of 2019 to 2682, the letter says.

Fiordland Community Board chairperson Diane Holmes says it’s been a concern for the community for some time.

“I get a lot of concerned comments about driving between Queenstown and Milford,” she says.

“But we also need to ask if the roads are fit for purpose around here."

“I don’t know how many other busy tourist roads in NZ have zero passing bays or lanes, but there are none between Queenstown and Milford."

"I drive it often. There’s no ‘Keep Left’ passing bay, not one.”

She says if drivers are in a hurry at 70km/hr and there’s no hope of passing a slower vehicle then “sooner or later some do dreadful things”.

Sue Fea is a senior journalist with more than 40-years experience covering police, social and general news in the southern regions.