Residents of world's steepest street in Dunedin are calling for council to ban tourists from driving up

October 17, 2018

They’re already in a battle to keep their title as the world’s steepest street.

Residents of Dunedin's Baldwin Street, the world's steepest street, have become increasingly frustrated by the amount of people visiting the area and are asking council to ban non-residents from driving up it.

As one of Dunedin's premier tourist hot spots, a visit to Baldwin Street is a chaotic scene of taxi drivers, buses, tourists, driving up to the top of the street and getting stuck there.

Besides the traffic, local residents have said people are parking on private driveways, backing into fences, and causing safety issues by lying down on the street.

With residents fuming, Dunedin City Council held a meeting last night for them to voice concerns.

"I think the meeting was very positive, we got lots of feedback from residents from Baldwin Street," Nick Sargent, the council's transport strategy manager.

However, one resident said this was "an example of Dunedin City Council bureaucracy at its finest".

Locals are now recommending signage which clearly states only residents are allowed to drive up the street.

Letters provided to 1 NEWS show the council's proposal to solve this issue was to create two "one-way" sections of the road, as well as a raised platform to slow traffic.

"I think it was quite constructive, and it seems we've scrapped the original plans of the island and the speed hump," said Baldwin Street resident Balazs Kiglics.

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