A new $13.3 million commercial vehicle safety centre has opened at Mackays Crossing, becoming the eighth of 12 planned facilities in a nationwide heavy vehicle compliance network.
The Mackays Crossing Commercial Vehicle Safety Centre (CVSC), located on State Highway 59 between the Mackays Crossing and Paekākāriki interchanges, uses weigh-in-motion scales and automatic number plate recognition cameras to screen heavy vehicles as they travel past.
Vehicles identified as potentially overweight can be directed into the centre using electronic signs displaying their number plate for further inspection.
The facility also includes eight outdoor truck and trailer inspection bays and a covered inspection shed with a pit and roller-brake machines for more detailed examinations.
There is also space for heavy vehicles to turn and park while trailers are offloaded.
NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) head of commercial transport regulation Tara Macmillan says the technology allows potentially unsafe vehicles to be identified in real time.
“The new approach for CVSCs allows us to identify potentially unsafe heavy vehicles in real time and intervene quickly when needed. That means safer roads for everyone.”
Macmillan says targeting non-compliant operators also means those meeting their obligations face fewer unnecessary interventions.
“It is also good news for the vast majority of freight operators who do the right thing every day. Targeting those that flout the rules or try to short-cut the system means operators doing the right thing are not being undercut by those who choose not to. This creates a more level playing field when it comes to doing business,” she says.
Heavy goods vehicles were involved in more than 20% of fatal crashes between 2012 and 2021, while heavy commercial vehicles account for around 8% to 12% of road traffic, according to NZTA.
Macmillan says enforcement needs to focus on vehicles and operators presenting the greatest risk.
“Technology such as in-road scales and automatic number plate recognition cameras help identify higher-risk vehicles while they are travelling. Those vehicles can then be directed into the CVSC for further checks. It means responsible operators can go about their business with fewer interventions,” she says.
The vehicle screening technology continues operating even when the physical centres are closed, providing information for subsequent compliance action.
“We have seen decreases in the numbers of overloaded vehicles and trucks with expired Certificates of Fitness. That is great news for road safety,” Macmillan says.
The Mackays Crossing facility has capacity for up to eight trucks in its inspection bays.
NZTA says around 13,300 vehicles travel in each direction along the adjacent section of SH1 each day, with heavy vehicles accounting for about 6.5% of traffic.
The centre will also collect information on heavy vehicle movements along the Kāpiti Coast, which NZTA says will help identify emerging risks and inform future safety decisions.
Macmillan thanked the Kāpiti community for its patience during construction, which included lane closures and night works to install gantries and in-road weighing equipment on SH1.
“We appreciate the patience and understanding they showed at the time. We know this new facility will deliver significant benefits for the wider Wellington region,” she says.
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) estimates around 11 heavy vehicles will be directed into the centre during the morning peak between 8am and 9am, and around seven during the evening peak from 5pm to 6pm.
Police CVST estimate an inspection will take about 15 minutes when a vehicle and its documentation are in order.
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