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Port Chalmers  protesters plan to continue stalling trucks on the town’s main street until its 50kmh speed limit is lowered, as Port Otago moves to convince truck companies to  impose their own limit.

Twenty protesters, young and old,  spent half an hour yesterday morning stopping every truck  at the pedestrian crossing at the port end of George St, holding up signs  saying "30km".

The aim was to get a permanent 30kmh speed limit from the Wickliffe Tce intersection to the end of the street, either imposed by the NZ Transport Authority (NZTA), or self-imposed by the freight industry.

Protester, Port Chalmers  woman Kris Nicolau, said the area had suffered "years and years" of the street bearing the brunt of the shipping and freight industries.

"If you’re sitting in any of the buildings on the street and a truck comes past,  you can’t speak."

A lower speed limit would decrease the impact the vehicles had on the foundations of those buildings.  Protester Michael Findlay said he saw many "nearmisses"  along the street.

"I think sensible drivers would drop their speed, but it leaves it up to their judgement."

Many of the truck drivers were waving in support yesterday, he said.

The protest’s spokeswoman, who did not want to be identified, said the group would eventually succeed in getting a limit placed on the street and until then would  probably stage  further  protests.

Port Chalmers residents stop trucks to make their point about the speed limit. Photo: Stephen Jaquiery

Port Otago chief executive Kevin Winders said the company would  contact  trucking partners to see if they would enforce a 30kmh speed limit  on their fleets.

"That’s something that we can do as Port Otago, because safety is paramount for us.

"Clearly we’ve got a port that is pretty critical to our region, in Otago and Southland, so delays through that supply chain isn’t something anyone wants to see."

TIL Freight Dunedin  had  already agreed to the 30kmh speed limit, which it would begin enforcing on Monday, manager Colin Smythe said.

He said its  five trucks  which used the stretch of road were yesterday equipped with "geofencing" GPS technology  which could monitor the speed of the vehicles.

Staff agreed to the new rules, but were not likely to be penalised if they broke them, he said.

None of the other freight companies contacted yesterday responded.  NZTA  senior safety engineer Roy Johnston said there were no reported injury crashes on the road  to  trigger a review  of the official speed limit.

"This route is a national strategic highway, one of our most important freight routes to Port Otago, and the minimum expected speed limit for these national strategic routes is 50kmh."

Operating speeds were measured in the 40kmh-44kmh range.  The agency would develop a speed management programme in partnership with local authorities and partners  which would "provide an opportunity for the Port Chalmers speed environment to be reviewed and discussed".

jono.edwards@odt.co.nz