The Queenstown public has been given the opportunity to have a say in the new names for a line of council trucks that will deal with winter roads.
The Lakes District Council has purchased two new grit trucks, a plough truck and a CMA truck to keep roads safe as winter fast approaches the region.
Starting today, the council has opened its inbox up to the public to receive name suggestions for each of the four new vehicles - the best will be assigned ahead of the winter surge.
And the local governing body has already got a headstart on suggestions, pitching “Gritney Spears” and “Spready Mercury” as potential titles for vehicles breaking cars free in the icy conditions.
The naming competition aims to bring awareness to the winter road conditions in Queenstown and encourage safe driving habits.
“We want people to get a grip this winter and maintain that grip,” said Simon Mason, the council’s Infrastructure operations manager.
“Road conditions can change at any time during the chillier months, and the more people know what to expect the safer they’ll be.”
Mason admits a name won’t change the amount of grit the truck is able to spread but he hopes it will create “joy and understanding” around what the vehicles and crews are doing.
“Hopefully drivers find a bit of joy on those cold and dark mornings when they come across a truck they might have named or voted for.”
The naming competition is open for anyone to provide names to letstalk@qldc.govt.nz, or through the council’s Facebook page.
Once suggestions are in, the best names will be put to a public vote and the winners will be assigned to one of the four winter trucks.
Each truck will also receive a personalised badge - to be displayed on the side of the vehicle.
Public naming contests became a phenomenon for governing bodies and large corporations after the introduction of the internet and social media.
Arguably the most famous example of a public naming contest was in 2016, when the British government gave the internet the chance to name their prized $287 million polar research ship.
The British public was all too happy to oblige, deciding on the name “RRS Boaty McBoatface” for their new exploration vessel.
Back in 2007, Greenpeace asked for help naming an endangered humpback whale it had tagged - but was less than impressed when the public decided on the name “Mister Splashy Pants”.
And the British again demonstrated their wit in 2015 after the BC Ferry Services told the public to name three of their controversial ferries after recent fare increases.
Among the most popular entries were the “SS ShouldveBeenABridge”, the “Spirit of the WalletSucker” and “The Floating Crapsickle”.
BC Ferry Services chose none of the public’s suggestions.
Queenstown has coincided its own naming competition with a drive for residents and visitors of the city to sign up for the district’s road safety and update texts.
The Winter Road Reports and Community Text Alerts are designed to give the public a heads-up about what to expect on their morning commutes or trips to the ski field.
The text alerts will warn drivers of any dangerous driving conditions or other emergencies affecting the community.
Both services are free to access.