The organisation behind truck protests which gridlocked inner-city areas around New Zealand in July is welcoming an announcement by Government this week of board members who will review controversial increases to road user charges.
On July 1 this year an unheralded announcement of higher charges for diesel-powered vehicles, and those weighing more than 3.5 tonnes, angered many in the transport industry.
During national protests on July 4, 120 trucks converged on Dunedin's central business district.
An estimated 1000 trucks blocked city streets in Auckland.
Road Transport Forum New Zealand (RTFNZ) chairman Tony Friedlander said members had been continuously consulted on "terms of reference" for the review since July.
"A comprehensive review is a step in the right direction. We asked the Ministry to look at the [RUC] cost allocation model which dates from the late 1970s.
"They also need to look at the charges system which is very bureaucratic and wasteful. The fuel tax and registration system used almost everywhere else - including Australia and the UK - is more efficient.
"Our research indicates there's about $100,000,000 in wasted costs incurred [with the current system] including through compliance and through evasion and avoidance," Mr Friedlander said.
Road Transport Association Otago Southland branch member Peter Sutherland, who organised Dunedin protests in July, said the review would be welcomed by Otago transport operators.
A combination of high road user charges and increases in fuel prices had forced Otago operators to increase rates by between 1.5% and 2% since July.
Mr Sutherland believed future protests were unlikely.
"The reason we took a bold serious step to take protest action was to get the transport minister's attention. Many members feel the minister has really not listened to the road transport industry," he said.
Review board members are; former Transit New Zealand board member James Hill; Warren Young, former member of the NZ Blood Service, Auckland Healthcare Services, Health South Canterbury, Capital Coast Health and Hutt Valley District Health Boards and Tony Gibson, former Maersk Line NZ managing director.
Ministry of Transport acting chief executive Wayne Donnelly will be review adviser.
The group will report back to government in March 2009.
