No matter the political changes in store, Transporting New Zealand will take an active role to ensure the concerns of road transport operators are front and foremost.

Recently, I attended an event for our members in Hawke’s Bay. The room was packed, and the guest speaker was Katie Nimon, the National Party candidate.

One of Katie’s fundamental views is that roads should be seen as an investment to drive and improve the economy. While I’m sure no one else in the room needed convincing of that, it was refreshing to hear because that idealism appears to have gone missing for a significant period.

National is promising to roll back some of the blanket speed limit reductions brought in by the Labour government.

Many state highways have already had their speeds reduced from 100km/h to 80km/h as part of the government’s Road to Zero initiative to reduce road deaths. If you wander onto rural local roads and miss a speed limit sign, then it leaves you guessing what the legal limit is, and that’s not good.

Transporting New Zealand supports road safety and ways to reduce deaths and serious injuries on our road – many of which are avoidable and all of which cause a horrendous and long-lasting impact on everyone involved, from families to first responders. So, although no one wants to see people getting injured on the roads, the current system is farcical, and some proposals have no rhyme or reason.

Even Labour senior minister Kieran McAnulty is opposed to speed limit reductions in his Wairarapa electorate – but Waka Kotahi has brought them in regardless.

If you think that sounds bizarre, you’re right. Government policy must take safety, the environment and productivity into consideration. A scientific, risk-based approach must be used rather than blanket limits on whole roads.

The current approach, which depends mainly on the road function, is too one- dimensional and nonsensical.

We’re seeing proposals to reduce sections of road from 100km/h down as far to 40km/h, even when engineers have advised that the safe and appropriate speed limit is higher.

The road network is the workplace of our members, so as much as anyone, we want a safe network. But variations and inconsistencies like this make no sense. In fact, they will make it very hard for drivers to have any idea what the speed limit actually is.

We’ve heard it might cost $30 million to reverse what’s been done, but on the flip side, with what’s happening now, it could easily add 15 minutes to a transport operator’s daily travel time, particularly if operating on rural roads. As the charge-out rate for a truck and trailer unit could be about $200 an hour, the loss of productivity could unnecessarily cost the country an additional $2.5 million every day with no equivalent gains in safety.

Transporting New Zealand is concerned that simply reducing speeds could be a way to avoid spending the funds needed to bring the road network up to modern standards and meet future transport requirements.

Positive programmes now in place

In the meantime, while the government ponders what to do with speed limits, industry-led initiatives continue.

Road to success: The Road to success Certificates of Competency (micro-credentials) are a way an employer can demonstrate they are meeting industry good practice and provide evidence that their people have met an industry-recognized level.

Diversity Toolbox: The Diversity Toolbox is a set of practical tools and resources for road freight operators. The Toolbox, supported by Teletrac Navman New Zealand, emphasises how a diverse and well-supported workforce is key to long-term success for all businesses.

Along with the Diversity Cohort established last year, this initiative is helping build a stronger culture, incorporating people from diverse backgrounds. The Good Practice Guide: Safe Operation and Maintenance of Sideloaders is now freely available on our website. The New Zealand Intermodal Transport Safety Group (NZITSG), made up of transport operators, manufacturers, industry associations and the industry training provider MITO, developed this good practice guide, and it has been endorsed by WorkSafe.

It’s a really great sector initiative and an excellent example of the industry knowing what it needs and getting stuff done to achieve the best results.

National transport strategy needed

Technology offers huge potential to improve New Zealand’s transport system – but we appear well behind the eight-ball compared with overseas.

Transporting New Zealand supports congestion charging and road-user charges to pay for roads; however, charges must be managed efficiently and fairly. A recent study shows that the road transport industry is paying a much greater share of its public sector infrastructure and service costs than other road users.

I firmly support deploying good technology to resolve problems; it can make a big difference if properly managed.