NZTA confirmation today that it will deliver $2.07 billion for State Highway Pothole Prevention and $1.9 billion for Local Road Pothole Prevention is good news for truck drivers.
“Potholes are a continual hazard for road freight deliveries as well as the general public – we’ve seen record numbers of them, and a clear priority to address them is well overdue,†says National Road Carriers Association CEO Justin Tighe-Umbers.
“Our potholed roads cause millions of dollars of damage to trucks and cause physical and mental health issues for drivers. We know of drivers who have stopped working because of the stress caused by our substandard roads.
“New Zealand has badly potholed roads because road maintenance was previously inadequately funded from pay-as-you-go road user charges levied on trucks instead of being well funded and built as core infrastructure from the outset.
“Until now we funded our roads on a consumption model rather than an investment model, so we were constantly falling behind.
“We like that the Coalition Government has ringfenced the investment in the Pothole Prevention Fund to resealing, rehabilitation, and drainage maintenance works to ensure State Highways and local roads are brought up to a safe and reliable standard.
“Potholes have attracted a lot of unwanted attention over the last couple of years as New Zealanders nationwide have vented their pothole frustrations across every communication medium possible.
“While the frustrations are real, no one could envy NZTA’s growing fix it task on a shoestring budget. Today’s announcement that the Government is delivering on its commitment to boost funding for pothole prevention is welcome relief across the board.
“For the transport industry, where the road is the workplace, and safety is linked to a quality, maintained road network, we are extremely pleased to see this coming through as a priority.â€
