Source: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand
Road freight peak body Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand has welcomed the Coalition Government’s draft Government Policy Statement on land transport (GPS), praising its focus on road repair and maintenance, building Roads of National Significance, and lifting growth and productivity.
Interim CEO Dom Kalasih says that this back-to-basics approach will be well received by road freight operators.
“We’re pleased to see the Government following through on their election commitments to re-start the road building pipeline, focus on the dangerous and potholed condition of our streets and highways, and avoid road user charges and fuel excise increases in their first term.”
Kalasih says that prioritising investments in roading activity classes is a necessity, given increasing pressure on the National Land Transport Fund.
“Over the past few years, our members were disappointed to see revenue from vehicle users diverted into unproductive investments in rail, coastal shipping and walking and cycling, while the condition of the roads continued to decline. It’s great to see Minister Brown committing to turning this around, despite challenging fiscal constraints.”
“Transporting New Zealand will be going through the draft GPS carefully over the coming weeks, consulting with our members, and providing constructive feedback. The road freight industry remains committed to improving efficiency, safety and sustainability across the transport network”.
About Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand
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.
