Greens transport policy disregards reality

Road Transport Forum Chief Executive Ken Shirley has dismissed the Green Party’s transport policy released today as “naïve and in complete disregard of the realities of the New Zealand freight task.”

“The flexibility and timeliness of road freight is impossible to match through any other transport mode,” says Mr Shirley. “Trucks are the only way to reach most farms, factories, supermarkets or homes and can do so at any time of the day and when the customer demands it.”

“A 2006 study of New Zealand’s future freight task concluded that only 3-7 percent of the road freight task is actually contestable by rail, which is why the various transport modes must be left to compete on the basis of comparative advantage.”

“The economic benefits of New Zealand’s road freight sector are not because politicians have screwed the scrum in its favour; it is because it offers the best service to customers and suppliers.”

“Misguided political intervention that unfairly favours one mode over another will inevitably result in misplaced investment, inefficiency and poor outcomes across the economy.”

“To subsidise economically inefficient transport modes by sucking money out of the National Land Transport Fund, which is paid for by road users, shows a level of economic incompetence and disregard for reality that is truly staggering.”

“People and businesses will always choose the most cost-efficient, flexible and timely transport option, which for most freight tasks is the road.”

“It is worth noting that NZTA, Kiwirail and the road freight industry are already working to better integrate road and rail freight around ports and transport hubs, where it makes sense and the New Zealand freight system has the most to gain.”

The road freight industry already pays more than its proportional road use impact in road user charges and continues to make big strides in improving safety and environmental impact.

“The heavy vehicle accident rate has declined significantly in recent years. The number of fatal accidents involving a truck has dropped by around a third from where it was in the early 1990s and modern trucks are significantly safer these days, with electronic stability control and ABS braking now standard.”

“Noxious emissions from trucks have declined 75 percent since 1990 and modern trucks now use 33 percent less fuel than their equivalents did 30 years ago.”

“It is also highly probably that in the near future a growing proportion of the road freight task will be carried out by electric and hybrid trucks. Already we are seeing a number of different powertrains and technologies being developed and used overseas.”

Tesla co-founder and Wrightspeed hybrid powertrain inventor Ian Wright is the keynote speaker at the Road Transport Forum’s Annual Conference in Tauranga, 27-28 October.

“It is disappointing that the Greens are yearning to go back to the bad old days of when ideology dictated the movement of freight. It was crippling to the New Zealand economy then and it would be again,” says Shirley.

ENDS

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