50MAX grows…and grows

KIWI TRANSPORT OPERATORS ARE CONTINUING TO adopt High Productivity Motor Vehicles (HPMVs) as network access also continues to grow.

e popularity of the safer and more productive trucks – particularly those running on 50MAX permits – has been demonstrated in the New Zealand Transport Agency’s latest quarterly gures, from January through to March….with around 112 million kilometres travelled by 50MAX vehicles.

at was up from 82 million kilometres travelled during the same period in 2016 – thus an increase of 36%.

e NZTA says that “this uptake of 50MAX in the rst three months of 2017 has avoided an estimated 10-15 million kilometres of travel, with estimated bene ts to the economy of around $20-30million.”

e Agency says that changes that took e ect last month make a 50MAX permit faster to get and easier to use. Operators now get one nationwide permit, rather than a North Island or South Island permit. Renewing permits will also be easier as operators using the same vehicle will not need to resubmit an attributes sheet and a new website interface will speed up the application process, says the NZTA.

e Agency says that the addition of two more local councils to the 50MAX-1Network permit system, means that 50MAX vehicles can now operate on approved-access local roads from Cape Reinga to Blu .

e Southland and Far North District Councils have allowed 50MAX access in the past three months, bringing the number of councils signed-up to the single permit system up to 61.

“is is a great milestone for the 50MAX programme, completing the jigsaw of major and local freight routes from the top to the bottom of NZ,” says Transport Agency freight strategy manager Marinus La Rooij.

“It’s also a reminder that access for 50MAX can and will change, so operators need to.... keep checking our online maps regularly to ensure they know exactly which routes they can use,” he says.

T&D