A temporary heavy vehicle ban on Thames Coast Road could see consumers pay the price, an industry leader says.
Road Transport Forum chief executive Ken Shirley told Radio New Zealand the disruption may see shops run low on supplies and food.
“You can easily see a 20% increase in freight costs involved in a disruption like that.
“These incidents do occur and it’s just a reminder of the vulnerability we have in New Zealand and that’s why I think it’s important that we invest for greater resilience,” he told RNZ.
Trucks are now prohibited from using the Thames Coast Road to prevent further damage after recent storms.
The NZ Transport Agency advised heavy vehicle drivers to “avoid” the State Highway 25 route on Wednesday before putting the ban in place.
Drivers are instead being asked to travel between Thames and Coromandel from the eastern side of the peninsula, via Tairua.
State Highway 25 is open to regular traffic both north and south bound on the western side with an escorted convoy as a number of work sites are still in place.
There is a cordon at Whakatete Bay and another at Te Puru where traffic can assemble for convoys runs continuously.
