A week-long, around-the-clock operation targeting unsafe heavy vehicles in southern Auckland resulted in 273 infringement notices, nine prosecutions and 40 vehicles being ordered off the road.
The Police Commercial Vehicle Safety Team and NZ Transport Agency inspectors checked 520 heavy vehicles during Operation Bombay, held at the Bombay Commercial Vehicle Safety Centre in early August.
Police completed 309 Commercial Vehicle Inspection Reports and detected 196 offences. This equated to defects or offences being identified in 63.6% of the reports.
CVST Sergeant Gareth Davis says it was the first operation of its kind.
“It’s the first time we’ve run an operation like this in such a sustained manner, running 24/7,” Davis says.
“There are rules in place for a reason — to keep all road users safe. All we’re asking is for heavy vehicle operators to meet those standards.”
The operation involved 22 CVST officers and included visual inspections, shaker-plate checks and 171 tests using two roller-brake machines.
Forty non-operation orders, commonly known as green or pink stickers, were issued for serious safety-related vehicle defects.
Police also issued 41 formal written warnings, 42 infringements for overweight vehicles and another 42 for road-user charge offences.
“While there was a clear focus on compliance and vehicle safety, we also looked at logbooks and performed alcohol testing,” Davis says.
Every stopped driver underwent breath-alcohol testing, with no positive results. Officers also completed 92 oral-fluid drug tests, which returned no positive results.
“The best results were that every driver stop was breath tested for alcohol, with no positive results detected,” Davis says.
“Our staff see first-hand the damage and destruction that takes place on our roads.
“We need everyone to ensure that their vehicles are maintained to a safe and compliant standard and that drivers are well rested and not fatigued.”
Police expect to run similar operations with NZTA across the Commercial Vehicle Safety Centre network.
Operation Bombay results
- 520 heavy vehicles inspected
- 309 Commercial Vehicle Inspection Reports completed
- 196 offences detected
- 273 infringement notices issued
- 42 overweight vehicle infringements
- 42 road-user charge infringements
- 40 non-operation orders
- 41 formal written warnings
- Nine prosecutions
- 171 roller-brake machine tests
- 92 oral-fluid tests, with no positive results
- No positive breath-alcohol tests
- 22 CVST officers involved
