Road user charge increase truckies' drive/march this Friday 4 July

**imdying** · 3rd July 2008, 10:58

Originally Posted by tri boy

*snip stuff about density etc*

Do you think we'll actually get there (baaad traffic) given the price of gas? I see bugger all cars on my way to work every morning... it's been getting better and better since the price of gas got to $2

What's happened in Auckland? You guys are a lot more screwed than us for public transport + Auckland is much larger... but have you guys noticed a reduction in the amount of vehicles commuting every morning?

**Pixie** · 3rd July 2008, 11:11

Originally Posted by Swoop

I have been wondering...
There is always a train heading up or down the country and invariably you see a lot of empty flatbed rail wagons. If kiwirail were smart, they would allow (for a minimal fee, of course) people to park their cars on them and move them around the country. Throw on a passenger carriage for the cage occupants to amuse themselves and hey-presto! another income stream for them.

What's this Kiwirail shit?

As far as I'm concerned it's LeftRail
Just as the bank is LeftBank in my book

**Nasty** · 3rd July 2008, 11:23

I have recieved on email re the protests:

Just spoken to the people in the know - tomorrow the truckies - are going to drive below their speed limit - so below 80k and they are going to drive 2 a breast on the passing lanes etc - so our trip to town would be lower than 80k when we can.

The night drivers are going to meet in paek/pram and start from there 6.30 - 7.00 start and head to town in convoy below speed limits - the are expecting over 1000 trucks + the night drivers

**imdying** · 3rd July 2008, 11:26

I can see into the future... yes... my ride to work tomorrow will include some footpath action... yes...

**mowgli** · 3rd July 2008, 11:32

Originally Posted by martybabe

Quite right, it's a bloody stealth tax on everything we buy, food and petrol prices have gone crazy enough without this crafty shiftyness.

Stealth tax indeed. Raising RUC pushes up the costs for consumables which in turn increases the GST take. Govt gets two bites of the cherry.

**Swoop** · 3rd July 2008, 11:58

Originally Posted by imdying

What's happened in Auckland? You guys are a lot more screwed than us for public transport + Auckland is much larger... but have you guys noticed a reduction in the amount of vehicles commuting every morning?

Personally, I have seen a massive reduction in congestion and quantity of vehicles on the road each morning. The afternoons remain the same however. This is West Auck. but I would be interested in North + South views on this.
You are correct. Auckland's public transport infrastructure is mediocre at best.

**Flatcap** · 3rd July 2008, 12:44

I have to have a giggle - everything Labour touches at the moment turns to shit.

It's almost like slapstick

**Tank** · 3rd July 2008, 13:47

Originally Posted by DangerousBastard

Thats a daft statement. The govt collects FAR more money from road taxes etc than they spend on the roads. Its a fucking ripoff.

DB

Originally Posted by merv

Ah are you dafter than me and drinking too much Tui or something? Ever read this http://www.transport.govt.nz/assets/...ew-for-pdf.pdf ?

Key point being:

3.3 Who pays for the roading network?

Road users pay 62% ($2.3 billion per annum) and ratepayers pay 8% ($0.3 million per
annum). The main components of the user and related charges are:

tadda yadda yadda

.

Yeah 'ol DB's never been big on facts - he prefers to rely on sweeping generalities, hearsay, rumour and urban legends.

**merv** · 3rd July 2008, 14:01

Originally Posted by Nasty

I have recieved on email re the protests:

So will the cops ping them for failing to keep left unless passing etc etc while other motorists

?

Me, I'll take it easy and take the train

.

**Patch** · 3rd July 2008, 14:45

not too many peeps are travelling Ti Rakau Drive any more.

If this crazy extortion of our money continues, we'll experience a recession shortly - then we might know what hard is.

Something has to give.

Kissing China's ass won't help much either.

**merv** · 3rd July 2008, 14:49

OK here's an update for the Welly folk straight from our friendly Police.

They are letting the right to protest over-rule the lives of ordinary folk - nice guys the Police huh!

Now will it be 100 trucks or 1,000 trucks like Nasty's informant said?

**Toaster** · 3rd July 2008, 14:54

Hmmm maybe tomorrow is a bad day to go to work in the CBD then! Its going to be either a very early or a late start!

**jafar** · 3rd July 2008, 14:57

[QUOTE=merv;1632479]Well I used to work for the rail industry until 1999 and sit outside it now.

I never heard the truck lobby on here shout out loud how great the Labour Government was for agreeing to go into trials with 50 tonne instead of 44 tonne trucks http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0805/S00606.htm. (Note in NZ typically one rail wagon alone is 72 tonnes - about a 56 tonne payload - light by world standards)

If the tare is say 10 tonnes, then the load increases from 34 to 40 tonnes - that's an almost 18% productivity improvement. Funny I wasn't hearing anyone talk about reduced costs over this one.

Greens don't like it of course http://www.greens.org.nz/node/19113

Well @ least your consistant Merv, twisting facts & throwing absolute bullshit out there to justify your one eyed view that the Road Transport industry is satans spawn & the Rail is virtue personified.

Fact of it is that costs for ALL operators including RAIL have gone way up & your going to pay for it @ the cashiers desk , just like everyone else.

If a 'B train' can be found with a TARE of 10 tonnes then it is probably a toy one. You can expect the TARE on a 'B train' to be around 18 tonne, this is in a large part due to believe it or not , "Road User Charges".This system is designed around the concept that the more tyres on the road the less damage will be done to that road. This is why we have truck & trailer units running around @ only 44 tonnes when they have the axle & tyre capacity to operate well over 70 tonnes.

**Toaster** · 3rd July 2008, 14:58

Originally Posted by Shadows

Good on them. It's about time NZ grew some fucking nuts.

Agreed and well said, we need NZ'ers to start protesting a lot more! - the Govt and big companies have gotten away with it too long and we just took it in the arse and have ended up paying way too much for everything.

Look at the electricity industry - was deregulated to provide lower prices and all we got was rampant premium hikes and profiteering by foreign owned companies.

Rail was the same - run down to nothing and profits flogged in exchange for little or no service.