It is not often that one feels totally disillusioned with the system we have to work with, but totally disillusioned I am.

Why would NZTA stop the desperately-needed road safety upgrade being undertaken at the Belk Road /SH29 intersection? It is totally unacceptable.

Belk Road intersection is extremely dangerous, so together with the community we were able to work with senior safety engineer Adam Francis who understood the safety predicament.

He organised for the safety design work, which included adding just over a metre of pipe to the existing culvert so a safer left-hand turn could be made into Belk Road.

Property purchases were made and work was to be completed last December. Then the horrible time drag occurred because the regional council took months to give approval and the work was then to be done this October.

Last week I was told by an NZTA senior employee he had decided not to do the upgrade. No consultation with the community, just ignored their needs and said they will look at other safety options. It is a scandal and disgraceful that the community has to put up with such bureaucratic bungling. Not good enough and we will not accept such nonsense.

M Murray-Benge, Bethlehem.