Mayor Rick Cooper speaks out about trucks being allowed to carry heavier loads

Mayor Rick Cooper spoke out on Bill Ralston’s Radio Live Show yesterday about his concern at the decision by Central Government to trial a new system allowing trucks to carry heavier loads.
The project, launched in Canterbury yesterday by Minister Jim Anderton, is trialing a controlled permit system allowing trucks to carry up to 50 tonnes - 6 tonnes more then is currently legal.

Mayor Rick Cooper said he disagrees with the reasons behind the decision and was disappointed that the regions, who will be mostly affected by the increased truck loads, were not consulted, as far as he was aware.

“I’m not saying I disagree with the reasoning behind the project, but shouldn’t the regions have been consulted first?”

“In Taupo we have a major problem with trucks driving along our lakefront causing vibration and noise issues and long-term damage to our pavements. This extra load that trucks will be carrying will make the situation much worse for Taupo Town,” said Mayor Cooper.

“We have trucks that struggle to negotiate our State Highways around the Taupo District with the current loads and I think that drivers faced with higher tonnages but the same bends and twists in the highway will be filled with fear and trepidation."

The Mayor also said he felt concerned that trucks with an increased load may tip over or veer off the road. “There are so many reasons why I am struggling to see why we need to be doing this.”

The current roading infrastructure in Taupo is designed to allow for 44 tonne loads. “We just aren’t in a position to cater for this increased load at this stage,” said the Mayor.

The Eastern Taupo Arterial (ETA) Highway which is currently in the design phase, will remove a number of the large vehicles and with it a majority of the vibration and noise issues from the lakefront, however this won’t be in place for at least another 3 years.

“If we had been consulted on this, our response would have been that Taupo Town should not be expected to cater for the extra 6 tonnes, until we have the ETA in place,” he added.

Mayor Rick Cooper then asked the question why we are now allowing more trucks with heavier loads on the roads at a time when we have just bought the railways. “Surely it would be more sustainable for heavier loads to be diverted to railway and not our under capacity roads that are struggling to cope with the existing traffic.”

"And rail in Taupo – well that’s another question altogether now – perhaps Mr Anderton will be able to help our community out with that little omission.”