Strath Taieri Community Board chairman Barry Williams says the number of double yellow lines painted on a highway between Middlemarch and Outram is "ridiculous'' and is making motorists break road rules.
Mr Williams said the board was creating a petition to "get some answers'' from the New Zealand Transport Agency on the number of double yellow lines on State Highway 87.
"It's nearly yellow lines all the way - it's ridiculous . . . I know a lot of it is about safety but I think it has gone overboard,'' he said yesterday.
The no-passing lines were painted on parts of the highway with "huge visibility'' that would allow motorists to pass safely, he said.
Many motorists were breaking the road rules and overtaking on them.
"If there was a cop there, you'd be nabbed. There would be a big percentage of us being guilty of doing that at some stage.''
The yellow lines were slowing travel between Outram and Middlemarch.
He hoped the petition would start a dialogue with NZTA.
"There's been no correspondence about it and I realise it's a state highway and they probably don't have to but there appears to be more and more and more and it has not been very well-received by the locals.''
NZTA senior safety engineer Roy Johnston said the "no passing lines'' were painted on SH87 about a year ago "due to safety concerns about the ability for people to overtake safely at these locations on SH87 between Outram and Middlemarch''.
A police spokeswoman said if people were caught breaking the road rules, on any road, they would be dealt with appropriately.
