Contents

Objective of the Rule

Extent of consultation

Section 1     Application

• 1.1     Title
• 1.2     Commencement
• 1.3     Scope of Rule

Section 2     Amendments to Rule requirements

• 2.1     General requirements for dimension and mass limits
• 2.2     Permits for high-productivity motor vehicles
• 2.3     Pilot vehicles

Section 3     Amendments to Schedules

• 3.1     Amendments to Schedule 7

Objective of the Rule

Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Dimensions and Mass Amendment 2012 amends Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Dimensions and Mass 2002 (‘the Vehicle Dimensions and Mass Rule’). The Vehicle Dimensions and Mass Rule specifies requirements for dimension and mass limits for vehicles operating on New Zealand roads. It sets in place a regulatory regime so that vehicles, in particular, heavy truck and trailer combinations, are operated safely.

The objective of the amendment Rule is to:

• exclude a camera installed on the exterior of the left hand side of passenger service vehicles from the calculation of the width of the vehicle;
• exclude ferry tie downs from the overall length calculation of a vehicle;
• restrict the application of the requirement for rear underrun protection devices to standard length vehicles;
• remove the requirement for high-productivity motor vehicles that are not limited to specified roads to display a high-productivity motor vehicle (H) sign;
• provide for an alternative positioning of beacons on rear pilot vehicles where roof-mounted beacons are obscured;
• clarify that the maximum height for vehicles using Auckland Harbour Bridge is 4.8 m;
• allow overdimension motor vehicles exceeding 4.7 m in height to use the section of the Auckland Southern Motorway south of Ramarama Interchange.

Extent of consultation

For the purposes of consultation, amendments proposed to the Vehicle Dimensions and Mass Rule and nine other Land Transport Rules were combined into a single Rule, Land Transport Rule: Omnibus Amendment 2012 (the Omnibus Amendment Rule). Following consultation, the provisions in the Omnibus Amendment Rule were split into 10 separate amendment Rules, including this Rule.

On 17 May 2012, the NZ Transport Agency sent details of the amendment proposals by letter or email to approximately 2500 groups and individuals who had registered an interest in the Rules to be amended. The Omnibus Amendment Rule was made available through the NZ Transport Agency’s Contact Centre and, together with Questions and Answers, was also made available on the NZ Transport Agency’s website. The availability of the amendment proposals for comment was publicised in the daily newspapers in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin and in the New Zealand Gazette.

The NZ Transport Agency received 27 submissions on the Omnibus Amendment Rule, of which 16 commented on the proposed amendments to the Vehicle Dimensions and Mass Rule.

The NZ Transport Agency subsequently undertook consultation on a proposed amendment to Schedule 7 that would effectively restore the exception that applied prior to 1 April 2011, allowing overdimension motor vehicles exceeding 4.7 m in height to use the southern section of the Auckland Southern Motorway. This proposal was notified to interested parties and was made available on the NZ Transport Agency’s website on 14 September 2012. A notice of the proposal was also published in the New Zealand Gazette. The NZ Transport Agency received seven submissions on this proposed amendment to the Vehicle Dimensions and Mass Rule.

The submissions made on the proposals for amending the Vehicle Dimensions and Mass Rule were taken into account in finalising this Rule before it was submitted to the Associate Minister of Transport for signing.

Section 1     Application

1.1     Title

This Rule is Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Dimensions and Mass Amendment 2012.

1.2     Commencement

This Rule comes into force on 1 December 2012.

1.3     Scope of Rule

This Rule amends Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Dimensions and Mass 2002.

Section 2     Amendments to Rule requirements

2.1     General requirements for dimension and mass limits

2.1(1)     After clause 4.1(4)(j), insert:

• “(k)     a camera mounted on the left side exterior of a passenger service vehicle that extends not more than 70 mm from the side wall of the vehicle.”.

2.1(2)     After clause 4.1(4A), insert:

• “4.1(4B)     A ferry securing point that extends not more than 50 mm beyond the body of the vehicle at the front or at the rear of the vehicle is not included in determining the overall length of the vehicle.”.

2.1(3)     In clause 4.1(10A), after “combination”, insert “that complies with all of the dimension requirements in Table 4.1, and”.

2.2     Permits for high-productivity motor vehicles

Replace clause 5.2(7)(f), with:

• “(f)     if the permit specifies particular roads on which the vehicle may operate as a high-productivity motor vehicle then the vehicle must display a high-productivity motor vehicle sign that complies with 5.7 when operating as a high-productivity motor vehicle.”.

2.3     Pilot vehicles

2.3(1)     Replace clause 7.3(20), with:

• “7.3(20)     Except as provided in 7.3(21), a Class 2 pilot vehicle must have one or two flashing or revolving amber beacons fitted to its roof unless 7.3(21A) applies.”.

2.3(2)     In clause 7.3(21), after “roof”, insert “unless 7.3(21A) applies,”.

2.3(3)     After clause 7.3(21) insert:

• “7.3(21A)     If the beacons required to be fitted to the roof of a pilot vehicle at the rear of an overdimension motor vehicle would not be clearly visible to following traffic then the beacons, or equivalent additional beacons, must be fitted to the rear of the pilot vehicle, or its trailer, in a position that ensures the beacons are clearly visible to traffic approaching from the rear of the overdimension motor vehicle.”

Section 3     Amendments to Schedules

3.1     Amendments to Schedule 7

3.1(1)     In Schedule 7, replace the item relating to ‘Auckland Harbour Bridge’ with:

• “Auckland Harbour Bridge: Maximum height 4.8 m. A vehicle exceeding 3.1 m in width must contact the NZTA Traffic Operations Centre and may travel on this route provided it is accompanied by a Class 1 Pilot Vehicle as authorised by the NZTA Traffic Operations Centre.”.

3.1(2)     In Schedule 7, item relating to ‘Auckland Motorways’, replace paragraph (a) with:

• “(a)     Loads that exceed 4.25 m in height are permitted to travel on State Highway 1 between Ramarama Interchange (Ararimu Road Underpass) and the southern end of the Auckland Southern Motorway.”.