Transport – Truck operators support roadside drug testing legislation

Road freight peak body Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is right behind the introduction of roadside drug testing legislation.

Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced The Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Bill will be sent to the Transport and Infrastructure Select Committee for consideration after its first reading this week.

Interim CEO Dom Kalasih says Minister Brown’s push to test drivers for drugs through saliva testing is good news.

“Anything that makes the roads safer is excellent for truckies, and all road users,” Dom Kalasih says.

“It’s vital that police have a system to get drugged drivers off our roads.”

“New Zealand’s truckies often see firsthand the horrific effects of drug and drunk drivers on our roads,” he says.

“Such a system was almost introduced by the Labour government a couple of years ago but the technology for the testing just wasn’t ready.”

Mr Kalasih says there are some important issues to watch out for with any new testing regime.

“We’ll be examining the proposed legislation as there are a few concerns that need to be looked at, such as legal and prescription drug use which may trigger positive results.”

“We’ll want to make sure the system has plenty of checks and balances and doesn’t stop people from driving who aren’t impaired.”

Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is the peak national membership association representing the road freight transport industry. Our members operate urban, rural and inter- regional commercial freight transport services throughout the country.

Road is the dominant freight mode in New Zealand, transporting 92.8% of the freight task on a tonnage basis, and 75.1% on a tonne-km basis. The road freight transport industry employs over 34,000 people across more than 4,700 businesses, with an annual turnover of $6 billion. For further information , contact Dom Kalasih, interim chief executive, Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand, 027 441 4309.