Yet again it’s been another week where mother nature has flexed her power with torrential rain causing havoc across Northland, Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty. A tornado hit Taranaki and the rain continued to march South ensuring Nelson, Tasman, Marlborough and the West Coast were all left sodden. I continue to be amazed at how well transport operates weather these relentless challenges – but it takes its toll.
I’ve been proud to watch the NRC machine wind into action at the forefront of helping transport operators get through. The team have been working the phones and keyboards with the various transport agencies, getting the latest on road closures and detours. NRC is usually able to get the information direct to operators in the area faster than the normal public notification from the agencies. We’ve seen first hand that there needs to be improvement in getting the Journey Planner updated with real time information faster. One major improvement we have called for is for regional road updates from council authorities to be incorporated into the Journey Planner. Not including local roads, which often become detours, is a major blind spot.
I was really pleased to see the announcement this week that a bridge will be built to reconnect the Coromandel via SH25A. Without a doubt it will be a challenging piece of engineering on a difficult site; however, this seems to be the simplest most resilient option with the best chance to be completed ahead of summer demand. Our members servicing the Peninsula have been doing it really tough. They have been hit with escalating costs all round as the cost of business has risen, journey times up to twice as long, and decreased visitor numbers impacting the businesses they support. It’s a huge relief to hear contractors are lined up to start construction in June with a clear end date of early 2024.
The NRC Marketing Team are ramping up as they look for new ways to add value to members. We have a great deal on offer until Sunday 18 June for new NRC members – simply join NRC and sign up for a Z Business fuel card pre-loaded with $200 credit. Already an NRC member but haven’t got a Z Business fuel card? Simply sign up using the promo code NRCFUEL200 to tap into this offer. For more detail simply go to our website.
It’s Budget week next week and we are all pinning our hopes on some positive investment for roading and infrastructure. Till then keep safe on the road.
Justin
CEO | National Road Carriers Assn
DDI:
+64 9 636 2951 | E: justin.tighe-umbers@natroad.co.nz
| www.natroad.co.nz
‘Supporting those who choose to make a living in the Road Transport Industry’ since 1936’
