Heavy traffic ban urged for Rimutaka Hill

SLOW GOING: Cars back up behind a logging truck making its way up Rimutaka Hill Rd.

A first-hand experience of truck versus car problems on the Rimutaka Hill Rd was relayed to Masterton District Council this week by councillor David Holmes.

Mr Holmes, who has been at the forefront of a drive to have as many heavy trucks as possible taken away from using the hill road, said he had been following behind a heavy, articulated truck that had been forced to stop in an effort to slowly negotiate a tight corner on the Wairarapa side.

He had to stop, as did two further cars behind him and the three had to back up the hill slightly to give the truck driver enough room to manoeuvre the vehicle round the bend.

"So I feel I can now honestly say something has to be done about this problem," Mr Holmes said.

Later he told the Times-Age the problem revolved round two particularly tight corners on the Wairarapa side and matters could only get worse as the quantity of logs coming out of Wairarapa destined for the Port of Wellington was expected to quadruple in the next few years.

Mr Holmes wants to see rail soak up most of the increased logging traffic.

The Rimutaka Hill Road Committee has been reformed after seven years in recess.

South Wairarapa mayor Adrienne Staples is chair of the committee which has now had two meetings with the issue of truck and car safety on three corners having been discussed.

Masterton mayor Lyn Patterson is pushing to have greater emphasis placed on the hill road being seen as a scenic drive, instead of a barrier to easily accessing Wairarapa.

A committee of Masterton District Council has discussed "selling" the hill drive as a 15-minute scenic journey.

It would also support a Welcome to Wairarapa sign being erected at the hill road summit.

Councillor Pip Hannon has volunteered to talk with David Hancock of Destination Wairarapa over a television advertisement made in 2004 to determine whether there was any reusable material.