The Campaign for Better Transport says proposals by the Ministry of Transport to the Vehicle Dimension and Mass Rule (VDAM) Rule currently under review could place pressure on local bus and coach manufacturers.
According to the Campaign for Better Transport changing the law to allow for bigger and wider buses and coaches on New Zealand roads could see new units imported directly from the USA and Australia.
The proposed VDAM rule change allowing larger and heavier vehicles could directly affect New Zealand’s bus and coach manufacturing industry which employs more than 250 skilled staff and has more than 500 specialist subcontractors and suppliers.
According to the Campaign for Better Transport, the estimated turnover of the local bus and coach industry is more over $50 million this year.
The Ministry of Transport is proposing to allow standard truck maximum weights to increase from 44 tonnes to 45 tonnes, remove the need for permits for maximum load trucks, and allow wider and taller trucks on New Zealand roads, as part of its review of the Vehicle Dimensions and Mass (VDAM) Rule.
Changes to the VDAM Rule were made in 2010 to allow the maximum weight of trucks to increase from 44 tonnes to 53 tonnes on selected roads.
Campaign for Better Transport spokesperson Cameron Pitches says further relaxing of the rules around maximum weight will put other road users at risk.
According to Ministry of Transport figures, in 2010 trucks were involved in 15% of all fatal accidents. In 2014, trucks were involved in 23% of all fatal accidents, accounting for 67 deaths and 772 injuries.
“The trend is worrying, and more work needs to be done before we relax the rules further,” says Pitches.
The proposal estimates economic benefits to be $634m over 30 years in present value terms, resulting from a theoretical reduction in the number of trucks on the same freight task; but Pitches is skeptical.
“Most of the potential benefits seem to be for truck operators themselves, but for the wider community this could easily be offset by the increasing number of accidents involving trucks,” he says.
“Similarly, claims of positive environmental benefits aren’t substantiated if trains aren’t able to carry freight,” says Pitches.
Public submissions on the proposed changes close on Wednesday 17th February.
