A state-of-the-art compliance station unveiled in the Bay of Plenty will help to ensure trucks travelling on the state highway network are safe.
The NZ Transport Agency’s $2million Paengaroa weigh station will be used to check that trucks on the road are within legal weight and safety limits.
Built by Higgins as part of the Tauranga Eastern Link (TEL) project, the facility includes a weigh-in motion bridge, control building, inspection pit, an area for truck parking and cutting edge brake testing equipment.
The facility will be maintained by the Transport Agency, and operated by the NZ Police Commercial Vehicle Investigation Unit (CVIU), who will carry out regular truck weight and safety tests at the site.
Transport Agency acting Highway Manager Andrew Scott says the facility is an important tool that will help improve road safety.
“The majority of freight companies do the right thing and stick to the rules. This weigh station will help police keep overloaded and poorly maintained trucks off our roads while minimising delays for compliant vehicles, and improving safety for everyone,” Andrew says.
Sergeant Dennis Hogan from the CVIU said the modern equipment at the new facility will allow police to perform a multitude of safety checks on trucks passing through.
“The CVIU team will be looking at everything from truck weight, headlights, suspension and steering to the brake quality,” Dennis says.
“This new weigh station is all about road safety and will help us to ensure heavy vehicle operators are at the top end of legal requirements, both in terms of vehicle mechanics and weight limits.
“This is not about catching people out; it's about encouraging everyone to lift their game for the safety of the freight community and the wider community,” Dennis says.
Andrew says the weigh station will also reduce road repair costs due to overloading causing more wear and tear on roads while also creating a level playing field for those in the freight industry.
“Improving weight compliance in the heavy vehicle fleet is a key part of the Transport Agency’s priority to move more freight on fewer trucks. Weigh stations like this one help create a level playing field by preventing some operators undercutting others,”
