Auckland motorist drives on wrong side of road to beat traffic in Ōtāhuhu
The driver only meets one oncoming vehicle, just before the motorway onramp the other motorists are waiting to enter.
The traffic cheat then ducks back into the line, cruising questionably past an amber light and into the rest of their day.
The driver’s actions were slammed as “entitled” by many who viewed the clip.
“Bro recorded his own crime,” said one.
“It’s giving me learners for 20 years vibes,” joked another.
But for all the detractors, many expressed approval for the move – labelled as “safe az” by the TikTok user who posted it.
“That’s allgood he was on his way home and wasn’t cutting in to jump on the motorway,” one person noted.
“Nah, ok this one takes the cup,” another fan said.
“I thought my overtake was good.”
Police have been approached for comment.
Expensive delays
A 2017 study from the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research found that solving Auckland’s congestion woes could benefit the economy between $0.9 billion and $1.3b per year.
Increased intensification in subsequent years has seen the problem grow, leading to plans to implement congestion charging.
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said in 2023 that the city’s motorists could be charged $5 per trip on some of its busiest highways.
Brown said he is looking at placing the congestion charges on SH1 between the Penrose and Greenlane on-ramps, and SH16 between the Lincoln Rd and Te Atatu on-ramps.
“Between 7am and 9am, those two motorways jam up and between 4.30pm and 6.30pm, they jam up again,” Brown said.
He claimed travelling at peak times was “easily avoidable”.
Brown added there would be “big discussions” about the price, but he said he thought a reasonable price would be $5 each time the motorists used the specified roads at the peak times.
He claimed the prices would ensure people would start to think, “maybe I should start work at that time, and work a bit later and go home a bit later”.
Chris Marriner is an Auckland-based journalist covering trending news and social media. He joined the Herald in 2003 and previously worked in the Herald’s visual team.
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