Tauranga City Council staff are ‘following up with the contractor' after a quick re-paint was required in Otumoetai Road on Wednesday.

SunLive was sent a photo and video of the new double yellow lines guiding traffic straight onto the centre median.

The error was fixed as soon as it was brought to the council's attention, says council communications advisor Marcel Currin.

Safety cones were removed in error. The road works along Otumoetai Road are for safety improvements.

The two new roundabouts on Otumoetai Road are designed to slow traffic to help make it a safer environment for the large number of people, particularly students, who walk and bike through the area.

It's also improved safety for people turning at the intersections. We've received a lot of positive comments about the changes, says Marcel.

'I live in that area myself and feel much better about my kids walking and biking through there with the new roundabouts,” says Marcel. 'I feel safer on my bike myself, the roundabouts are way easier to negotiate in a car, and it's easier to cross the road if you're walking.

'The trade-off for safety is we all have to drive a bit slower in a place that we were used to zooming straight through. As a parent and as a human being who rather enjoys living and breathing, I think the trade-off is well worth it.”