Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

In another own-goal for our capital city, the Let’s Get Wellington Moving consortium (LGWM) has proposed a plan to heavily restrict trucks and delivery vehicles from the so-called Golden Mile inner city retail district.
The Golden Mile is the area formed by Lambton Quay, Willis Street, Manners Street and Courtenay Place, and is the very heart of what makes Wellington a vibrant city. 
“Unfortunately, as with many initiatives that seek to improve the amenity value of the city, Let’s Get Wellington Moving is proposing a restriction on delivery vehicles that will have a negative impact on commercial activity in the central city,” says RTF’s Nick...

The road transport industry has partnered with the Government to assist employers to attract staff and alleviate the workforce issues currently experienced by the road transport industry.
RTF, with the backing of an industry governance group, has created a training programme, Te ara ki tua Road to Success, that meshes together on-the-job practical training with theoretical components, leading to qualifications and employment in the industry. 
“We believe this will assist people to get into our industry, stay in our industry and provide operators with the support to take on new, inexperienced staff,” the Forum says. 
The Government is currently offe...

Travelling along State Highway 5 between Napier and Taupō is a case of taking your life into your hands – and it is a situation that the Road Transport Forum finds totally unacceptable, according to chief executive Nick Leggett.
“Just before the most recent COVID-19 outbreak I went and visited SH5 with Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst, Deputy Mayor Tania Kerr and truck driver Antony Alexander,” says Leggett. 
“With eight deaths (on the road) in the previous 12 months, I knew what I would see would be bad – but it was even worse than I feared. The road is a complete mess. 
“The road surface is a patchwork of potholes and patc...

RTF is reminding operators to prioritise getting their CoF inspections done as soon as they can, with COVID-19 extensions to vehicle certifications, including CoF expiries, expected to cease from October 10. 

“Recent discussions that RTF has had with certification agents, supported by data analysis, has shown many operators are holding off getting their CoF B renewals – and that is a concern,” says RTF chief executive Nick Leggett. 

Considerable differences between the 2019 and 2020 CoF B expiries shows that the majority fall within the June to December period, showing a distinct downturn in numbers leading up to next month’s extension ex...

Over the past few months, the debate regarding the environmental performance of the transport sector has taken a back seat to the immediate challenge we have, as we try to pick up the pieces of an economy reeling in the wake of COVID-19.

However, the environmental issue remains and is something that both the Government and our industry have a significant stake in. 

Road freight presents a major problem for policymakers tasked with reducing our emissions profile. New Zealand’s economic success is based on exports and imports, with 93% of domestic freight tonnage moved by road. 

There are those who just say “put it all on the train” &ndas...