Trucking companies will need to factor in potential delays after the controversial north Rakaia weigh station in Canterbury opened on Wednesday.

But while compliance checks have begun, technical issues meant it was not working at full capacity, police national deployment manager – commercial vehicle safety team inspector Scott Richardson said.

An NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) spokesperson said the on-site weighbridge was not ready to be used yet, with police able to use static weigh plates on-site instead. Both police and NZTA notified industry bodies in advance of the commercial vehicle safety centre becoming operational.

“We’ve liaised with relevant stakeholders from trucking companies on the issues we currently face and will provide updates as they come to hand on when the [site] will be fully in service,” Richardson said.

When the location for the project was finalised last year, Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown was vocal in his opposition to the site, describing it as a “huge safety risk”.

He was concerned about trucks entering and exiting the site, between two bridges, even with now-implemented speed reductions.

A local trucking representative, who asked not to be named, said it would take time to know the impact of the weigh station on driving times.

“We are unsure of how much time to factor in, especially if there is a problem that needs to be rectified, as there is so much they can look at.”

They also questioned whether the reported $5m facility was “good value for money”.