Fenton Darien: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Fenton Darien: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:662;Page:10400] 
9. 
DARIEN FENTON (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Transport 
: What advice if any did he receive about truck driver safety before amending the land transport rule for vehicle dimensions and mass to allow heavier trucks on our roads? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister of Transport) 
: 
 I received advice from officials following the consultation phase of the rule development and prior to my report to Cabinet. The advice concluded that the vast majority of high-productivity vehicles will be existing vehicles that are designed to operate at heavier weights. They will not be wider or taller and they are required to meet all existing safety requirements and standards. Road controlling authorities will also have the ability to impose any reasonable additional safety requirements and improve driver training as recommended. These are all consistent with the objectives of Safer Journeys. 
Darien Fenton 
: Did he receive any advice about how allowing heavier trucks on our roads will exacerbate the safety risks for truck drivers who routinely drive up to 100 hours a week who are not taking any breaks and who are scrimping on maintenance before he amended the rule? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: No and it stands to reason that if the heavier-productivity vehicles are on the roads they will reduce the number of vehicle movements required for the same freight task. That would reduce the safety risk of those said vehicles. 
Darien Fenton 
: Does he stand by his statement on Radio New Zealand earlier this week that the  
Sunday Star-Times  
article that revealed it is common for truck drivers to work well beyond the legal number of hours just so that they can earn enough to make ends meet was the first time that he had heard of these problems; if so how many truck drivers has he spoken with since he became the Minister of Transport? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: I have spoken to a number of truck drivers since I became the Minister of Transport and none have raised that issue with me. I have received two items of correspondence in relation to work and logbook rules. I note that the  
Sunday Star-Times  
article raised an issue in relation to only one driver. If the member has concerns about the flouting of work logbook and time rules then I strongly suggest that she contact the police or the New Zealand Transport Agency and get them to investigate those concerns. 
Darien Fenton 
: Does he agree that there should be an investigation into any link that there may be between road safety and low rates of pay for truck drivers; if not why not? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: No; I do not believe that an investigation is necessary unless there is a systematic abuse of the system. If the member has evidence of such abuse then she should present that evidence either to me or to the New Zealand Transport Agency and to the police because generally in this country if somebody is breaking the law we have an enforcement agency called the police and in transport we have another one called the New Zealand Transport Agency. That is what they are there for so she should pass the information on to them.