Traffic is getting worse in Auckland. And for a waste disposal business, like Pink Bins, the consequences are serious.

It wasn’t long ago that our drivers could get on the road by 6.30am and reach their first job without hitting traffic. Now, thanks to decades of under investment in infrastructure, most days the motorways are congested all day. It’s been like this now for a couple of years.

How bad is it?

Last year, AA Auckland issues spokesman, Barney Irvine, had this to say to the New Zealand Herald:

“There’s this sense that the peak is just getting wider and wider…Arguably that’s when congestion gets really bad, when the off-peak just gets smaller and smaller until eventually you don’t have one — it’s just bad all the time.”

At the same time, an OECD New Zealand economic survey estimated that traffic congestion is costing Auckland a massive $1.25 billion every year in lost productivity.

A report by GPS navigation company TomTom, claims Auckland is more congested than New York and estimates, for commuters, traffic congestion adds up to 12 working days annually.

What are the solutions?

There have been calls for a mixture of tolls and congestion charges. The idea is to relieve peak-hour traffic pressure and help pay for more public transport and new roads. It could also encourage drivers to be more selective about when they take to the road and even try out carpooling and public transport.

When’s the best day to hit the motorway? Try Friday; it’s the least congested day of the week.

The more difficult it is for our drivers to get from A to B, the fewer clients we can service in a day. This affects everyone: the builder can’t progress until waste is cleared from a site, other trades people then have to wait for the builder. Like dominos, there is a knock-on effect. From our perspective a solution can’t come soon enough.

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