Truckies plan downtown gridlock over road charges

[The Edge]

Originally Posted by StN

Convoy... Convoy...

What's sad is that song is as old as me, but it's still one of my favourites

[Delphinus]

I"m all for taking the trucks off the road and putting the haulage into rail...

[crocos]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

I"m all for taking the trucks off the road and putting the haulage into rail...

Hmm... Now if only we had a rail network worth a damn.

[Sp0nge]

im thinking about hiring me a moving van so i can join this convoy.

running out of petrol whilst changing lanes would also be primo.

[Ard Righ]

Originally Posted by crocos

Hmm... Now if only we had a rail network worth a damn.

The very sad thing is that we once did... move everything around the country by rail. That's why we have rather extensive rail networks to the middle of nowheresville and back.

But due to selling off rail, and lack of investment for nearly 2 decades to make rail freight viable, it just doesn't happen. I'd much rather see logs freighted by rail, and livestock and cars too for that matter, much like they used to be.

[Delphinus]

Originally Posted by crocos

Hmm... Now if only we had a rail network worth a damn.

I'd like to hope we can think beyond the next few years, and try and plan ahead...
Rail seems to be a smart way to move... stuff... Trucks just dont make sense to me... Having to constantly be changing velocity and direction of travel (ie stopping for traffic, towns, and corners etc etc) just doesn't seem energy efficient.
Whereas get a train moving and it just keeps on going in a mostly straight line... And you have alternative methods of getting the stuff moving in the first place as well, not only internal combustion but electricity (wires = no need for battery technology) and the maglev trains sound cool. You have *options*.

Its never too late to change technology for the better in my opinion... If we have to invest time and money (taken from road tax) in rail then I'm all for it.

[fobski]

so
I DEMAND REPORTS EARLY TOMORROW MORNING

this shall determine my mode of getting to work

[The Edge]

Indeed, I'm all for expanding the rail network. It was at its peak in 1953, I think. Then the line closures started.

I wonder how much it would cost these days to build a line from Blenheim over the hill to Nelson? Or to reinstate the central Otago line, even all the way to Queenstown? Too much, probably

[crocos]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

I'd like to hope we can think beyond the next few years, and try and plan ahead...

<chortle>

But seriously, the biggest problems with our current rail network is 1) It's hellava twisty (decreasing speed, increasing derailments) and it's narrow track (decreasing cornering arcs, but also decreasing max speed and load-capability). Unfortunately it's actually cheaper to completely redo the inter-town roading infrastructure then it is to turn our rail system into something that can realistically handle high capacity usage, plus unless we establish a series of "hand-off points" between the new and old rail-systems, it's a "one-and-done" investment that scares off private investors (who don't look to multibillion investments with pay-back a couple of decades away), and scares our commitment-phobic political structure.

[Biff]

Actually the protest should be NO truckers taking to the roads. Then everyone would be all "hey I got to work in 10mins today damn those truckies are cool mofos!". Now everyone is going to be stuck in traffic for 3hrs "fucking retarded bitch ass mother fucking truckies, fuck those fucking assholes".

[Matt0r]

I left early to avoid it and had a little panic everytime i saw a truck, but twas all good.. until i hit a bucket, argh.
traffic site can't handle the traffic tho, can't fully load the page haha

[Acido]

Reporting In.

got to work @ 7am 12+ trucks parked on left hand side of nelson street on the left hand side woooo wieeeee

[Lightspeed]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Its never too late to change technology for the better in my opinion... If we have to invest time and money (taken from road tax) in rail then I'm all for it.

Aye.

In the meantime stuff is going to get more expensive. That's the cost of having the effectively free energy ride we've had so far.

[warezthebeef]

Just got off the motorway heading from the auckland CBD going north at constellation as the trucks started pouring in. If you're not already close to the city I don't think I would bother at this point...

[Matt0r]

lots of updates here

The best advice for Aucklanders now is to avoid the motorway system.
The Southern Motorway between Manurewa and Greenlane is barely moving in parts. Elsewhere the best it gets is a crawl.

[A Corpse]

Originally Posted by Matt0r

lots of updates here

Isn't that about normal anyway?

[darkness]

just been watching lots of trucks pass the empire on nelson st going onto victoria.

my trip to work was uneventful. left just after 7 and it took me 10 mins, but I don't have to hit any main arterials.

[Perfk]

http://wixcam.citylink.co.nz/terrace-north/

they're coming through now

[dylan]

central wellington is fine, took me heaps less time than usual, in a car...i think people allowing for the disruption meant there was less cars on the road and either the trucks hadn't hit yet or there's bugger all of them

[Hazmat]

I live on George St, and looking down toward the Octagon, all I can see is trucks. Both ways.
Will post pics before lunch. It's hilarious, I've never seen traffic move so quickly in Dunedin. LOL.

[Kryten]

Dream run into Wellington, faster than a normal day. The drivers are being awesome and sticking to the middle lane - between Ngauranga and Aotea Quay it was down to about 20kph, otherwise it was almost like the Quiet Earth in the left hand lane.

[crocos]

Originally Posted by dylan

central wellington is fine, took me heaps less time than usual, in a car...i think people allowing for the disruption meant there was less cars on the road and either the trucks hadn't hit yet or there's bugger all of them

That was my experience too. From talking to a few of the early-starters, "rush hour" was 06:30 to 07:30 this morning.

[crocos]

Originally Posted by Perfk

http://wixcam.citylink.co.nz/terrace-north/

Webcams are being HAMMERED something chronic at the moment

[StN]

Originally Posted by crocos

Webcams are being HAMMERED something chronic at the moment

Yep - all over.

I had breakfast in town, so didn't do my normal early morning cross town dash - had to cross the convoy path at Main North Road / Cranford Street just as the rigs were picking up density (8:20?). A double trailer unit covered the lights, but I managed to get the Hun around the corner in the nick of time.

[Hazmat]

Dunedin this morning.
Only decent pic I could get due to position...:/
http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/~hazmat/01.jpg

[xin]

Aucklands truckies aren't very efficient at blocking traffic.

[Fx.]

two trucks completley blocked the northbound lane just before mt wellington onramp for a good 10-15 minutes, was fuckin funny to see

SO MANY TRUCKS and mt welly motorway is good and rooted

[Delphinus]

Originally Posted by The Edge

I wonder how much it would cost these days to build a line from Blenheim over the hill to Nelson? Or to reinstate the central Otago line, even all the way to Queenstown? Too much, probably

Oh I would totally love a rail network between Dunedin and Queenstown. I'm over in QT at the moment drove through last night for work, and the whole way I was thinking if only I could relax and do some other work while cruising along in the train than having to deal with these idiots (cars) and trucks infront of me.

[Delphinus]

Originally Posted by crocos

But seriously, the biggest problems with our current rail network is 1) It's hellava twisty (decreasing speed, increasing derailments) and it's narrow track (decreasing cornering arcs, but also decreasing max speed and load-capability).

I guess alot of that twisty stuff is due to the nature of the country. Although there are some parts that should be pretty easy, Canterbury plains for example.

Originally Posted by crocos

Unfortunately it's actually cheaper to completely redo the inter-town roading infrastructure then it is to turn our rail system into something that can realistically handle high capacity usage, plus unless we establish a series of "hand-off points" between the new and old rail-systems, it's a "one-and-done" investment that scares off private investors (who don't look to multibillion investments with pay-back a couple of decades away), and scares our commitment-phobic political structure.

Inter-town roading upgrade is just another sticking plaster, and wont really help anything in the long term.
Also, is it strictly necessary at this stage to upgrade the existing rail system to that degree, or can it be utilised in its current form (or with slight upgrade) to ease some of the load that is currently on trucks and the road? Then move people over slowly when they realise how good it is?

[Griven]

Biggest issue i have with the new charges is that its right on the heels of this asstastic government buying the railways back.
Kinda smacks of "oh shit we just brought this obsolete relic, let's screw over the competition and tell businesses to suck it up and use our rail service"

[Delphinus]

Originally Posted by Griven

let's screw over the competition and tell businesses to suck it up and use our rail service"

Is that necessarily a bad thing? Like I said, I'm all for less trucks and more rail, and if this is what I takes to change society's way of thinking.. (which as we all know is VERY hard to change)

[HeMan]

I hope no one needs an ambulance

[Fx.]

southern citybound in aucks is pretty clear now.. actually.. no cars o_O

maybe theres a massive blockage furthe rsouth haha

i've seen a few police cars go thru etc, trucks being good to them and gtfo'ing

[A Corpse]

My run to work this morning from Hamilton East to the centre of the city was the clearest it's ever been. Everyone stayed away.

[Mos]

drove through downtown hamilton at about 9am...truck driving up and down vic street at 5km/h.

After 15 mins of tooting at all the trucks I made a dash back to work via Te Rapa road, yeah..bad idea.

Two trucks in both lanes going 5km/h and the cops tried stopping it, but couldn't.

As I hit Forest Lake road intersection there were about 20 trucks southbound heading into town, yep....that will hurt

Looking forward to watching the news tonight.

[crocos]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Inter-town roading upgrade is just another sticking plaster, and wont really help anything in the long term.

NO argument about it being a sticking plaster, but the current thought-pattern seems to be "Spend money with immediate/short-term benefit realisation rather then plan for initially higher costs over a longer time to implement realising lower cost and greater benefit over the long term". From what I've observed that applies through the government and corporate sectors equally well.

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Also, is it strictly necessary at this stage to upgrade the existing rail system to that degree, or can it be utilised in its current form (or with slight upgrade) to ease some of the load that is currently on trucks and the road? Then move people over slowly when they realise how good it is?

The problem is unless we get our own trains designed and built, yes, it is strictly necessary to upgrade to that degree, as one of the biggest issues Transrail has is limited supply - of trains and carriages - as the international standards tend to be for wider tracks, thicker gauge rails and larger tunnels. That all needs to be addressed before we can get rail to the standard that you're after.

[MadMax]

palmy's ring road was overrun by trucks from 730 to 9ish, except i think the council rigged the lights so the traffic kept flowing. they were letting in traffic and not blocking side streets so aside from travelling slightly slower it was no hassle.

lol at the three trucks that kept going till about 10am, running down king street which is one way, blasting their horns down the narrow road.

i don't think their intention was to completely grid lock everything. to do that they'd need a second convoy travelling in another direction. even that is fixable with police directing traffic.

[Mickey]

My Dad is a truckie and was one of the ones down Queen Street, he got so much free shit from all the shops. Free Maccas, free tshirt, free magazines etc. Their company wasn't going to be involved but the media hype was too much for companies to ignore. Free advertising. According to the news those trucks that did the motorway hold up blocking three lanes are likely to be charged.

[moo69]

Fuck the truckies.

Lame publicity stunt that simply ended up pissing off people who have nothing to do with RUC increases, or couldn't care less about them (not enough to fight the govt anyway).

Though, they are truckies, and they're not the sharpest tools in the shed tbh, probably sounded like a good way to get out of that oh-so-hard job of sitting on your arse driving.

gg truckies you dumb motherfuckers!

[crocos]

Moo you twit: RUC increases in turn increase the cost of transport, which directly increases the costs of the sale-price for the goods thus transported, which means you pay more for your half mocha double-shot soy latte as it costs more to make.