The New Zealand Transport Agency is being accused of wasting taxpayer money, spending tens of thousands of dollars on flash videos hardly anyone is watching.
But the Prime Minister is attacking the Green Party, who uncovered the figures, saying not everyone can bike to work.
The website is called Drive Social. It's described as a "unique online experience that lets people see who they share the road with". There's a flash TV campaign to go with it.
But the Greens say it's all an enormous waste of money.
"This is another example of National mismanaging the transport budget," says Green MP Julie Anne Genter.
"The Greens are opposed to roads and that's because they want everyone to either to walk or cycle," says John Key.
The campaign has so far cost $1.6 million and 9500 people have signed up. That's a rough cost of $174 per person.
"It's an important message," says NZTA spokesman Andy Knackstedt. "That's because it's part of a broader campaign that's got a very important purpose, which is ultimately to reduce fatalities on the road."
"The money they are putting into this ridiculous campaign, which is highly unlikely to actually reduce road rage, they could have bought a million public transport trips," says Ms Genter.
"Is it important to advertise about either road closures, changes or making sure people adhere to the road rules when you think that we lose still hundreds of people a year as a result of road accidents?" asks Mr Key. "Then absolutely."
The Greens have also found more evidence of what it calls wasteful spending. The NZTA has commissioned more than 40 animations in the past three years at a cost of more than half-a-million dollars.
A $40,000 video of the proposed Otaki bypass has had 991 YouTube views. That equals roughly $40 per view.
"The fundamental purpose of that video is not to clock up the biggest number of YouTube views," says Mr Knackstedt. "That video has been used in public open days."
"They're really just expensive propaganda for bad projects," says Ms Genter.
The Government has hit back at the Greens, saying $1 billion will be spent on public transport in the next three years. That's a 21 percent increase, the highest in history.
3 News
source: newshub archive
