'Oi, I've got work to do': Motorist gets round eco-protesters

Video has emerged of one disgruntled motorist’s actions to get back on the road after eco-protesters blocked Wellington’s Transmission Gully yesterday.

• Dunedin man arrested again on protest 

The protesters blocked the key route at 7.30 yesterday morning by parking hired vans on the road before linking arms and unfurling banners in support of restoring passenger rail.

The action appeared to be planned and choreographed, with the vans slowing traffic before the protesters hopped out.

But they forgot one crucial act - and a man on a mission to get to his destination made them pay for their mistake.

The video shows the man, who had been minding his own business and listening to an audiobook as he travelled that morning, immediately react as a blue-haired woman raised a hand to urge motorists to stop.

He didn’t mince his words.

“Oi, get the f*** off out of the way. I’ve got work to do.”

When they didn’t back down, he spotted another avenue.

The man hopped out and calmly jumped into the driver’s seat of one of the vans - where the key had been left in the ignition. He then drove it out of the way to park it on the hard shoulder as a protester ran limply alongside to try and stop him.

The disgruntled motorist then ran back to his own vehicle before departing the scene with some more choice words for a man that tried to stop him.

“Hey mate, you better f*** off.”

The man then pushes the protesters out of the way, with little resistance, before driving around them and going on his way.

His response won widespread praise online, with commenters saying he had done well to remain calm and find a way around, with one saying the protesters were “arrogant”.

“Expertly done pal,” another wrote. “I’m all for the goal these muppets are trying to achieve, but their methods put emergency services, and therefore lives, of innocent people at risk.”

Police later arrested 11 people over the protest, which went on to involve protesters gluing themselves to the road.

Twelve people, aged between 22 and 81, from great-grandparents to students, including a father and son, sat across the motorway.

Rosemary, a spokeswoman for the group, apologised to motorists for the inconvenience, acknowledging it was an “extreme” action but said there wasn’t much time left to combat climate change.

“Places like Transmission Gully encourage more cars, more emissions - we have got to go the other way.”

Rosemary said the group will continue until they get a solid answer from the Government about restoring passenger rail.

“We want a commitment from the Government that they are going to look seriously at producing transport.”

Police took a dim view of events yesterday.

“Acts like this are not lawful, and put the lives of the protesters and other motorists at risk,” Inspector Nick Thom said.

“While police responded immediately and began clearing the road, some of the protesters had unfortunately glued their hands to the road, further delaying traffic and taking up police time.”