Road transport operators are frustrated over decision-makers holding up their business of moving essential freight and livestock.
Road Transport Forum (RTF) chief executive Nick Leggett says the “she’ll be right” message from the Government is not good enough.
He says the decision-makers appear to be gripped by timidity and that is not helping to move essential freight around the country.
A key concern is the insurance liability of trucks.
“The inability of government to make decisions in this particular lockdown is causing us a lot of concern,” Leggett said.
“We haven’t been told regarding the certificates of fitness (CoFs) and driver licences, and I quote, ‘there are no policy decisions which have been made yet, the small extensions to lockdown are not giving us the certainty everyone needs to make solid calls’.”
He says that message was reiterated at the Transport and Infrastructure Select Committee on Wednesday.
“It is not good enough for operators who have trucks that could be worth several hundred thousand dollars,” he said.
“No disrespect to insurance companies, they do the job they do, and they service industry well.
“But government is asking trucking operators to simply trust those companies to honour contracts for trucks that cannot have their CoF renewed, driven by drivers who cannot have their licences renewed because of Level 4 restrictions.”
He says the same risk can apply to police on the ground as enforcers of the rules.
“They are doing a great job, but we are concerned they won’t always get the messages from Wellington, and they will do their job if they see a truck without a CoF or find a driver whose licence has expired,” he said.
Since day one of Level 4 lockdown and on several occasions since, the RTF has requested Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency put in writing its intent to issue notice granting concession on CoF and driver licence expiry.
Despite verbal assurance of this, Leggett says Waka Kotahi will not commit to putting it on record.
“Rule number one of crisis management is you make decisions with the information you have on the day,” he said.
“Instead, we appear to have officials overcome by timidity and we don’t understand where it is coming from.
“We think this stuff should be easier second and third time around, not harder.”
While being provided by a government order during the previous Level 4 lockdown, it appears this time there is some confusion between the Ministry of Transport and Waka Kotahi.
“It is very clear there is no plan,” he said.
The RTF fears the next hurdle will come when the Government decides to lock Auckland and parts of the Waikato off from the rest of the country.
“In August last year we saw this turn into a serious health and safety issue for drivers and a critical animal welfare issue and a waste of perishable food,” he said.
Given this was a monumental mess last time, Leggett says the RTF is continuing to ask to be part of the planning.
“But we are told the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Ministry of Health will be the decision-makers on this,” he said.
“We question the capability of government officials to make decisions about the flow of freight and the welfare of livestock being transported at this time.
“We are very worried about different (lockdown) levels as we carry essentials nationwide.
“We will have to cross borders, that is a complication that will slow freight down and slow the economy down.
“We can’t have essential freight, products and animals in the primary sector market held on trucks waiting at borders because the bureaucrats have not got a plan in place – it’s time, money and stress.
Given the inevitably of Delta dawning, Leggett says it was expected there would be a plan on the Government shelves ready to go.
“We certainly aren’t seeing evidence of that,” he said.
“We have asked for a seat at the table, we want to help, we want to be constructive, but it’s not looking likely.”
