We got a great big convoy, filling up the streets
If you're planning on driving to work tomorrow, or even if you're planning on taking public transport, you should read the following press release about the great big mother-trucking protest that's planned for tomorrow morning in Wellington.
Traffic Gridlock Expected In Wellington Due To Heavy Truck Protest
Press Release by New Zealand Police at 11:31 am, 03 Jul 2008
Wellington Police are strongly advising commuters and travelers to avoid the motorways and central business district between 7am and 10am tomorrow morning because of the expected traffic gridlock from the increased road user charge truck protest which is happening across the country.
More than 100 heavy trucks are expected to travel in convoy on both State Highways 1 and 2, leaving McKays Crossing (Paekakariki) and Seaview, near Petone, at 7am.
Inspector Simon Perry, Wellington City Area Emergency Response Manager, says the volume of trucks will cause huge delays on the highway and motorway systems, and gridlock the central city.
"This protest is happening in peak time and the convoys may merge as they approach the CBD," he says. "We expect motorists will need to factor an extra 90 minutes delay into their travel time. The CBD will be gridlocked and we're not expecting traffic flow to return to anything like normal until after 10am."
Police say the congestion and delays will impact on commuters, and people heading to the airport for early morning flights or the ferry terminals for early sailings.
The intended protest route is:
- 7am, leave McKays Crossing on State Highway 1 and Seaview, Petone, to travel south on State Highway 2
- The convoys will merge on the urban motorway and travel south through The Terrace tunnel onto Vivian Street. Dangerous goods vehicles are not allowed through the tunnel and will exit at The Terrace off ramp to rejoin the convoy in Vivian Street.
- Travel to Taranaki Street, then onto Jervois Quay
- Turn into Whitmore Street and then up to Parliament where they will disperse.
"The delays for the general public will be considerable," Inspector Perry says. "We will have extra patrols out to minimise disruption where possible, particularly around intersections. We're appealing for people to be patient and to avoid the area."
Police urge commuters and travellers to:
- be on the road well before 7am if you are catching early morning flights or ferries
- use the trains and leave your car at home
- factor long delays into your journey
- parents/caregivers to be aware that travel on the last day of term for school kids could be delayed tomorrow morning
- avoid the motorways and CBD if possible between 7am and 10am.
"Wet weather and the inevitable crashes will add to congestion and frustration," Inspector Perry says. "Please be patient. Police will have extra patrols out but the city will be gridlocked for a chunk of tomorrow morning.
"This protest is similar to many others we experience in the capital city We expect the truck drivers to abide by the road rules, but the protest will bring inevitable delays on the roads."
Too many mother-truckers, trucking with my shi'.
Poor truckies, having to pay their share for their use of the roads. I may have to go and eat some quiche in front of them to counter-protest.
Yes, eat that quiche now Tom, before the price of it rises thanks to transport companies passing on the increased RUC and ACC levy shi' to us consumers.
Nothing wrong with them pasing on the true costs to consumers: after all, it might be an incentive to eat food made with more local ingredients.
Local ingredients still have to get shipped to manufacturers, who have to ship their goods to distribution centres who distribute it to the local Pak n Save/4 Square/Woolworths.
At least shipping companies don't get charged RUCs.
And does this mean we will see large helicopter pads retrofitted onto supermarkets?
You don't have to buy it from a supermarket: it could be made in a local bakery, deli or cafe. If all of that shipping and trucking were charged for at a rate that took into account the damage it does to the environment, then the price differential between locally made goods and mass-produced industrial rubbish would change and help encourage more sustainable modes of production.
Umm, where is the bakery going to get its flour from?
Not that I disagree with your sentiment at all.
Of course there's going to be some transport involved, but if the final product is sold near to where it's made, rather than trucked around factories, distribution centres and supermarkets, then there's less of an impact. And of course, it's likely to be a hell of a lot tastier.
Of course trucks don't just carry food. And carbon footprints are much more complex than just transport.
Goddamn you Tom, I've been singing that ever since I read your comment:
Too many mother-truckers, trucking with my shi'
So you delay me over your road-user fee
hateful music in my head all day, and here is my deliberate act of unkindness in return (paying it backwards).
"We Will Rock You"
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
"It's a Small World After All"
"Uptown Girl"
and
"Ben, the two of us....."
I have to say, it really did hurt me to do this.
It's all right: I've had mid-80s New Order tunes stuck in my brain ever since the last Atomic, and nothing's going to dislodge those lovely earworms any time soon.
Apparently the talk back crowd are right behind 'em!
Although I don't imagine they move much from their transistor radios & won't be affected.
Don't forget to reschedule all heart attacks, fires and armed robberies.
I was thinking, "Oh, it'll be ok cos it's state highways." But the people who aren't using state highways will have to take another route, and its those roads that will get clogged too.
And I expect that the typically chocker morning buses will be even more so.
Though Taranaki Street, Jervois Quay and Whitmore Street aren't state highways. Some of those are bus routes, or at least cross bus routes, so if the trucks clog up the intersections then public transport users will be screwed as well. Except train commuters, and they'll probably suffer from even more overcrowding than usual.
Woohoo! Traffic cam journalism!
Who’s driving the ‘truck strike’?
Give me a break. The road user charges are just the excuse; the protest is the objective. Tony Friedlander, head of the Road Transport Forum, former National Minister, secret major National donor, and star of the Hollow Men is behind the protest. He told Transport Minister Annette King the protest would be happening weeks ago, before the road user charge changes were announced.
This has nothing to with with a 1% increase in trucking costs, it is simply an attempt to make the Government look bad - a long-planned hollow attack from a core National backer.
I reckon the cops should pull each and every truck over at the onramp and check their warrant, tyres, log-book, etc. That'd throttle their arrival in town substantially.
At the same time, they should make it clear that the laws about keeping left and keeping up with the traffic will be enforced..
I can't wait for more things to be delivered by train
trains are lovely and if the re open the bay express route the world will be even better
10:4 good buddy.