Driving productivity with heavy vehicle changes

28 proposals to change heavy vehicle rules will reduce compliance costs and improve productivity for New Zealand’s transport operators, Associate Transport Minister James Meager has confirmed.

Mr Meager says consultation has begun on a set of practical changes which would make it easier for operators to get on with the job, support more productive freight movements and maintain high safety standards.

The proposals form Phase 3 of the Heavy Vehicle Productivity workstream under the Government’s Land Transport Rules Reform Programme. It includes: Allowing heavy vehicles to carry more weight and freight, reducing the number of vehicle movements on the roads.

Exempting fire trucks from mass limits so they can get to where they need to go and fight fires, not mountains of paperwork.

Allowing crane trucks and sucker trucks to operate more easily under specialist vehicle weight limits.

Giving overdimension vehicle operators more flexibility about when and where they can operate, including on Auckland motorways and tolled roads.

Relaxing travel time restrictions for overdimension vehicles and loads to make better use of our roads.

Shifting load pilot vehicle signage and other detailed operational requirements for overdimension travel out of the rules and into transport instruments to make small, common-sense changes more quickly.

The consultation also seeks feedback on exempting rigid agricultural vehicles from existing mass limits, subject to restrictions to protect critical infrastructure. This is a change the agricultural sector has strongly called for, which the Government has listened to.

This continues our earlier work which delivered practical changes to reduce red tape, including simpler 50MAX and HPMV requirements, more flexible licensing for low and zero-emission heavy vehicles, and new load pilot signage, Mr Meager says.

The proposals have been developed alongside heavy vehicle operators, emergency services, KiwiRail and local government. We’re now seeking feedback from them, the wider industry and the public to ensure we get the details right.

Not every issue needs another rule. We looked closely and found some can be dealt with more effectively through operational changes. This includes streamlining applications for operators who need both overdimension and overweight permits.

Freight keeps New Zealand moving. This is about fixing the basics and ensuring we have practical, up-to-date rules which help operators work safely and efficiently, rather than tying them up in unnecessary red tape.