A convoy of vintage vehicles, mopeds and motorbikes led by "Cliff the Ambulance" wound its way from Forbury Park to the Octagon yesterday.
Despite an apparent low level of interest from passers-by and the Dunedin public yesterday, a city councillor said the Save Our Hospital Campaign had not lost momentum.
It began in the Forbury Park carpark at 11am and ended about an hour later when it pulled into the Octagon where it was met with limited fanfare.
By the time the vehicles reached the Octagon, the convoy appeared to have been split after red lights caused gaps in the procession.
Cr David Benson-Pope, who drove his car in the convoy, said he thought the momentum for the cause would continue because people felt so strongly about the hospital build.
"[It] will continue until we get a satisfactory result — that's the hospital built according to the original design and what's been agreed by the government."
He said like everyone else in the South, he was "sick of the lies the government was peddling".
"They need to front up to the commitment they made pre-election and build what we are entitled to — the momentum will continue."
Yesterday’s convoy was the latest in a series of messages the council has sent to Wellington since the government said an estimated budget of $3 billion for Dunedin’s new hospital was untenable and halted construction on the project.
The campaign to pressure the government to build the hospital to its original specifications says each day the hospital is delayed, the cost rises by $110,000.
Yesterday, the cost of the delay surpassed $12.5 million, the campaign website said.
A spokeswoman for Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti said the minister recognised the passion and commitment of the people of the South.
"Minister Reti has also met with mayor Jules Radich on a number of occasions to understand the views of the council.
"It is up to the people of Dunedin to determine whether the campaign is a good use of ratepayer money."
An announcement on the hospital was expected to be made in the coming weeks, the spokeswoman said.
Mr Radich could not be reached for comment yesterday.
