It’s political

WHAT THE POLITICIANS THINK ABOUT TRUCKING

THE NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING INDUSTRY FACES

many challenges – many of them influenced by Government policy.

Apart from the many problems currently created by the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s the ongoing driver shortage, the worsening state of the nation’s roading network and the threat of coming emissions reduction legislation…

So, who among our political parties offers any salvation for the industry in these situations?

To have some insight into what politicians are thinking about issues impacting the road transport industry, NZ Truck & Driver has offered each of the major political parties the opportunity to voice their views on trucking matters each month.

This month, only the ACT Party has taken up the opportunity. T&D

The transport industry deserves better

By Simon Court, ACT Party spokesperson on transport

THE TRANSPORT INDUSTRY HAS

been vital to supporting Kiwis through the pandemic. But the way it’s been treated by Government in return has been appalling.

Throughout these difficult times, as shelves needed to be stocked and parcels needed to be delivered, drivers had to adapt to ever-changing rules and alert level changes.

As ACT’s transport spokesperson I have been talking to business owners and drivers about how they have adapted. They should be trusted to manage risk from COVID-19 like any other risk, with good planning and the best available technology.

One told me that regular flights were cancelled when the latest Level 4 lockdown started in early August, so instead of flying linehaul drivers home from Auckland or Wellington at the end of their run, they switched to a driver changeover system at the mid-point.

The sudden lack of flights also meant an urgent switch to road transport to collect lifesaving blood and medical products from regional centres to make sure the precious materials got to their destination within maximum time limits, and at the correct temperature.

When the Government made a lastminute announcement on testing workers crossing Auckland boundaries there was little time to prepare documentation, let alone get tested before the initial deadline. The trucking industry would have helped set that up weeks ahead if they had known.

An operator wanting to manage their safety risks with better testing has told me that even months later, a negative test result is still not required, only evidence of a test, and that drivers travelling in and out of the Waikato alert area are not required to provide evidence of a test at all.

The Government claims it is not possible to require a negative test before crossing the boundary because nasal and saliva PCR tests take 24 to 48 hours to return a result.

This is the reason that ACT has consistently called for use of better technology like rapid antigen testing during this pandemic. Not only did the Government not embrace rapid antigen testing – it made it illegal to import them.

In our March 2021 COVID 2.0 plan, ACT called for the rollout saliva tests and other rapid tests as they become available. In June in Parliament, we questioned the Government about why it wasn’t allowing them.

In the meantime, businesses operating in Auckland believe it is a case of when, not if, COVID-19 gets into their workforce. They are terrified a single positive case will shut down a business for days or weeks, leaving fresh food to rot and halfbuilt houses open to the weather.

They are desperate to begin routinely COVID testing workers coming onto construction sites and before entering a warehouse.

Recently, after a face-off with health officials, a coalition of around 25 major businesses demanded that the Government allow them to import and use rapid antigen tests.

The Government now claims credit for allowing 300,000 tests to be trialled, yet this proven risk management tool remains in a holding pattern until health officials approve it for wider use.

Multiple brands of test have been in widespread use by the trucking industry in Europe and Australia for months and were set to be on sale in Australian supermarkets last month.

If the Government is serious about controlling the spread of COVID-19 it should lift the ban on importing Rapid Antigen Testing immediately, follow the principle of ACT’s August 2021 COVID 3.0 plan, and say that tests approved in Britain, America, Europe or Australia should be allowed in New Zealand.

We trust the transport and distribution industry to get food to our tables and deliver precious blood and medical products. ACT says the Government should trust these businesses to manage COVID-19 risk like any other risk, with good planning and the best available technology. T&D