Truckies protest

[*Glenn* 854]

Anyone have problems getting to work ???

Sounds like Kaos out there in Auckland going by what I heard on the news.

Truck hits pole ?? a road rage incident ??

[the stig 0]

Good on them I say

[*Glenn* 854]

Good on them I say

I totaly agree.... if they pay more ...we end up paying in the long term

This government seems to be just digging a deeper hole for themselves

Everyone is sick of increases

[kiwi535 538]

but we are all having to adjust to new increases.It was a very impressive sight going along petone espalnade this morning,every second otr third vehicle was a truck,most of em big rigs.They come from Seaview where most of the freight depot are.Its going to be caos in town.

What can Joe Bloggs do?

[jjs 60]

I see on the Breakfast show, trucks are basically crawling...

I wonder what happens if there is an emergency and someone needs get through? Sure they would pull over for an ambulance, but what if some one is having a baby or similar???

[bravo 34]

Yeah they mentioned on breakfast that on Queen Street an ambulance was escorted by a police car and the truckies were letting them through.

I support them fully.

Easy for me to say. I drove to work as usual along the waterfront of Paihia and there were the usual 8-10 vehicles lol. Sunny day up here to boot.

Edited July 3, 2008 by bravo

[Grant 4]

They should strike more often. I had a dream run from One Tree Hill to my office at the top of Khyber Pass Road, the roads were pretty empty.

Obviously I didn't travel the normal route on the motorway, just came up Great South Road, through Newmarket and up Khyber Pass Road. Traffic was like a 7.00am Sunday morning, rather than a Friday Morning.

Cheers

Grant

[jjs 60]

Kaos

caos

It's CHAOS! Where is Simon a.k.a the spelling police?

Yeah they mentioned on breakfast that on Queen Street an ambulance was escorted by a police car and the truckies were letting them through.

I aslo read in the Herald that paramedics on bikes were on call.

[Apex 693]

My missus called me and told me she got to work in record time (Papakura to Manukau) so im guessing they scared a few people off the highways and cleared a path for Brooke!

Thanks Truckies, keep on trucking.

[*Glenn* 854]

The wife just went down into Queen Street to do banking.

TOTAL GRIDLOCK !!!

She took pictures too.. I'll post them up tomorrow

[*Glenn* 854]

The news will be interesting tonight.... TOTAL CHAOS in most centers (does spell check)

[pjay 8]

yup, i was in it for about 30mins. They were funneling down queen street, unfortunately i work on hereford so naturally avoided most of it

I wanted to be late

[CamB 48]

Not a supporter. They're protesting that they didn't get notice of the proposed price increase. The rationale being they wanted notice so they could buy up RUC early.

The Govt sprung the change in RUC on them specifically so this wouldn't happen (they bought up $17m last time it did). If you think about it, it isn't struggling truckies who will buy up RUC early (they've got no money), it is the bigger corporations.

I'm not even sure the truckies are (officially) protesting the **LEVEL** of the RUC. In case most of you aren't aware, the RUC-equivalent on petrol is included in the price, so petrol vehicle drivers are already paying more. The change in RUC is to address the imbalance.

[simke 0]

yup, i was in it for about 30mins. They were funneling down queen street, unfortunately i work on hereford so naturally avoided most of it

I wanted to be late

I saw your bmw the other day, recognised the plate - I'm at Telecom plaza (but I don't work for Telecom)

[*Glenn* 854]

I think the "spirit" of the protest is.....we've all had enough of this government and this (the protest) is being used to show that the average person has had enough of unjustifiable increases on everything.

[pjay 8]

Simke: Ahh yup, you work in the pub? Or the cafe? or the dairy? or the hairdressers? or one of the other businesses?

On topic: I always get a tingle when groups join together for a common cause. Its just good to see that not all people sit back and allow all the decisions to be made by a minority

Edited July 3, 2008 by Pjay

[martyyn 2]

Im not a fan either. NZ has become the 'user pays' capital of the world and as the trucks spew out more rubbish and cause more damage than the rest of us put together why shouldnt they pay? There hadnt been an increase in 18 years previous to the last one either so there is some serious catching up to do. I wish my mortgage, groceries and petrol had been fixed at the same prices as 18 years ago.

They are simply going to pass the increase on anyway so whats the problem for them? I dont buy into the rubbish about it taking 12-15 months to pass the increase on either. Theyre' not hanging about raising prices due to petrol increases are they?

Having said all that, I too had a record drive in today. I was all set with my heated seats, climate control and tv but 15 minutes from door to desk....so maybe they should strike more often.

[simke 0]

Simke: Ahh yup, you work in the pub? Or the cafe? or the dairy? or the hairdressers? or one of the other businesses?

Sandfield Associates - just opposite Foodinis

[sp8s 1]

Im not a fan either. NZ has become the 'user pays' capital of the world and as the trucks spew out more rubbish and cause more damage than the rest of us put together why shouldnt they pay? There hadnt been an increase in 18 years previous to the last one either so there is some serious catching up to do. I wish my mortgage, groceries and petrol had been fixed at the same prices as 18 years ago.

They are simply going to pass the increase on anyway so whats the problem for them? I dont buy into the rubbish about it taking 12-15 months to pass the increase on either. Theyre' not hanging about raising prices due to petrol increases are they?

Having said all that, I too had a record drive in today. I was all set with my heated seats, climate control and tv but 15 minutes from door to desk....so maybe they should strike more often.

Get a life or get out of the office.

Incase you dont have a diesel vehicle I will let you know that road tax (RUC) goes up every year some times more times than petrol. Ask any trucker they will tell you.

Just who do you talk to about trucker raising prices when the price of petrol/diesel goes up. It sure as hell aint a trucker. Companies wont let them and 99% are on contract so the price for delivering your Gin & Tonic stays the same for a long time.

Go talk to a trucker

[CamB 48]

I feel sorry for the truckie at the bottom of the heap on this (and their inability to pass on higher RUCs), but I think you'll find the increase in the RUC each year has a lot to do with keeping the RUC relative to the contribution from petrol.

A better question is why should truckies (and those with diesel cars generally) get a break?

Or - for Glenn - why shouldn't the charge be increased? It pays for the roads. Everyone wants more infrastructure spend and the $$$ has to come from somewhere.

Maybe it does mean we have to pay more for stuff which is shipped by truck. If a lower RUC means there is a roading $$$ shortfall, then it comes from general taxpayer funds. Thats arguably a subsidy of diesel users by petrol users (paying for roads through the petrol price) and the taxpayer (for any shortfall).

There is no free lunch here.

(edit) Article with both sides of the story (sort of):

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/feature/story.cf...jectid=10519903

Edited July 4, 2008 by CamB

[martyyn 2]

Get a life or get out of the office.

blah blah blah

Go talk to a trucker

Ok then contradiction time.

If the charges go up every year, where is the surprise they have gone up again and why is it WIDELY reported that charges havent increased for 18 years ?

And when was the last time you went shopping? My groceries have gone up nearly 40% the last twelve months thanks to increased delivery costs, and your trying to tell me my g&t stays at the same price for long periods of time thanks to the goodness of the truckies?....give me a break.

Trucks cause the majority of the damage and spew out the majority of the toxins into the air, so why shouldnt they share the cost of that ?

Look, Ill be the first to admit I dont know a great deal about the whole trucker/company relationship but are you telling me the truckers sign a 'fixed price' contract with the company and then have to cover the brunt of any potential changes in the economy.....in the current market with oil hitting new prices, are they stupid ?

It sounds to me like the problem is between the truckes and the companies they work for rather than the government putting up prices.

If youre a trucker, how about you tell us just how it is, I wouldnt mind hearing it from the source and and more than happy to be proven wrong, but Im sorry, Im fed up with people complaining about how were supposed to fix the road, provide renewable energy etc and then cry foul when they are hit with higher charges or find a wind farm going up.

Edited July 4, 2008 by Penry

[*Glenn* 854]

There is no free lunch here.

Thats one of the problems with this government....there are too many free lunches for some... look at our unemployable. Far too few supporting so many.

[CamB 48]

Thats one of the problems with this government....there are too many free lunches for some... look at our unemployable. Far too few supporting so many.

I recall you are a similar age to me, so you must be old enough to remember (just) the Mother of all Budgets, and the social consequences of a severe withdrawal of funding for those on benefits.

We do have record employment (some of that is definitional). It's not like the unemployment/sickness/DPB etc benefits are that much of a gravy train (for most). Sure, there are some, but I don't think its the major issue, and the dole is pretty low and IMHO, enough incentive for most to try and find a job.

[pjay 8]

I know families who have lived on the DPB for over 18 years, so no its not enough incentive to find a job.

The incentive needs to come from educational facilities, and the workplace. Who wants to hire an adult, with kids and no qualifications? When they could hire a teen for minimum wage, and not worry about firing them.

NZ is going to the dogs. Excuse my lack of faith

[CamB 48]

I know families who have lived on the DPB for over 18 years, so no its not enough incentive to find a job.

The incentive needs to come from educational facilities, and the workplace. Who wants to hire an adult, with kids and no qualifications? When they could hire a teen for minimum wage, and not worry about firing them.

NZ is going to the dogs. Excuse my lack of faith

And John Key was bought up in a state house, so obviously not everyone is a long term beneficiary.

I agree that we need change through education and in the workplace (training) - but again that's gonna cost and will take time.