9. JEANETTE FITZSIMONS (Co-Leader—Green) Link to this
to the Minister of Transport
How does the Government expect to meet a road safety target of no more than 200 fatalities a year by 2040 while simultaneously allowing bigger trucks on our roads, given that deaths from crashes involving trucks make up around 20 percent of the total road toll, even though only 6 percent of the total distance travelled on New Zealand roads is travelled by trucks?
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Transport) Link to this
As the member knows following the briefing I gave her last week, no decision has been made to allow bigger trucks on New Zealand roads. Cabinet has agreed to further work on developing a controlled permit system to allow heavier vehicles on specified routes. The Ministry of Transport, in conjunction with key stakeholders, is crafting a sensible permit system for heavy vehicles, and I expect a trial to begin next year. A key feature of it will be road safety.
Jeanette Fitzsimons Link to this
When the Minister said that roads will be safer with bigger trucks, is she saying that children who will be walking to Maramarua School down State Highway 2 now that their bus service has gone will be safer because the trucks will be bigger and heavier, and what evidence can she offer to support this?
I am saying two things. The first is that the trial is for a permit system to allow trucks that are capable of carrying 50 tonnes to be able to load up to 50 tonnes. By doing that—if we take the example of Fonterra, which says it will take 58 trucks off the road—fewer trucks will be going past the school the member mentioned. The second thing is that over the last 15 years the number of fatal truck crashes that occur for every 100 million kilometres driven by trucks has halved—down from about six fatal crashes per 100 million kilometres to three fatal crashes. So the trend in terms of accidents with trucks has been going down, not up.
Peter BrownWill the Minister acknowledge that truck drivers are not always to blame in truck crashes, and will she further acknowledge that if we had built better roads when materials were cheaper—that is, concrete, steel, and bitumen—instead of siphoning off the money into the Crown account, as the National Party did when it was in Government—
The member says “Get over it!” Will the Minister acknowledge that if we had done all that, there would be people alive today who were killed on our roads?
The member makes two very good points. Obviously, better roads make it safer for those on it, including those who are driving trucks. I also agree with the member that trucks are not always the cause of accidents. We do have some drivers in New Zealand who, when they see a truck, feel they have to pass it, and sometimes they make decisions that have fatal consequences.
Jeanette Fitzsimons Link to this
How does the Minister plan to design the big truck permit system in a way that does not undermine more sustainable modes of freight transport, such as rail and coastal shipping, recognising that according to the Government’s report on surface transport costs and charges, trucks currently pay only 56 percent of the costs they cause to the economy while rail pays over 80 percent?
As I explained to the member, the reason for carrying out a trial and doing the work before we have a trial is to ensure that we look at the impact such a system would have on other modes of transport. We are very aware of the need to ensure the use of rail and the growing use of coastal shipping. Part of developing a project like this is to do it carefully and to ensure that all the data is gathered before we decide whether to put this system permanently in place.
Jeanette Fitzsimons Link to this
As part of that very thorough study that the Minister proposes, when will she be consulting road users such as cyclists, pedestrians, the Automobile Association, and other ordinary motorists, rather than just the private trucking company stakeholders that form 55 out of the 61 agencies consulted so far?
As I said in my first answer, the Ministry of Transport will be working with a wide range of key stakeholders in the development of this permit system, and I expect that the ministry will consult widely on it. I want the best possible system put in place, with all the safety considerations as well, but I am also very aware that we have to make some progress in this area for economic reasons in New Zealand. We have to balance those two imperatives.