Severe delays in getting to work

Police are warning of severe delays in major centres as truckies protest the Government's sudden increase in road-user charges.

Auckland is expected to be worst hit but other cities are expected to be affected as follows.

WELLINGTON
In Wellington, about 100 trucks are expected to roll past Parliament at 7.30am.

Truckies will drive into the capital from both SH1 and SH2, and police are warning of gridlock in the central city.

New Zealand Road Transport Association area manager Mike Dennehy joked that the region's truckies had considered targeting Transport Minister Annette King in the protest after she raised the road-user charges without warning.

"There was talk of taking it out to Miramar where she lives and dropping in for breakfast."

But on a serious note, he said, the truckies would keep the protest to one lane on motorways to ensure emergency vehicles could get through.

HAMILTON
Up to 300 Waikato truckies are expected to turn out for the Hamilton leg of the protest.

Gary Masters, the Road Transport Association's area manager, had expected 100 to 150 trucks to join the action, but last night, he said the number had reached more than 250.

Waikato police said substantial delays for commuters were inevitable.

Police had been advised that trucks would converge on the city from Te Awamutu via SH3, and the southern and eastern Waikato via SH1 and SH26, respectively, at 7.30am.

TAURANGA
The Bay of Plenty's Road Transport Association manager had commitments from 152 truckies for the Tauranga protest last night.

But Charlene Kerr said other trucks delivering freight into the city would likely swell numbers when truckies converged on the three main routes into the city at 7am.

They planned to drive across the Harbour Bridge and along Cameron Rd, while about 80 Tauranga truckies taking freight to other centres had indicated they would join the protests in those places. ROTORUA More than 60 truckies from Rotorua, Taupo, Tokoroa and the surrounding areas are planning to drive their rigs through Central Rotorua.

The truckies will also converge at three places, north, east and south of the city, at 7am.

Protests are also planned for New Plymouth, Dunedin and Christchurch.

WHANGAREI
Police are asking motorists to avoid the Whangarei CBD between 7.30am and 11.30am with more than 100 trucks expected.

The trucks will come in from the north and south of the city and will start a circuit beginning on Kamo Rd through to Bank St, down to the five-finger roundabout, along Walton St, onto Dent St, along Hatea Drive, on to Deveron St and then on to Mill Rd before doing the circuit again.