KEY POINTS:
Truck drivers, furious at new road user charges introduced by the Government this week, plan to clog city centres across the country today.
The nationwide protest, will disrupt commuters heading to work on Friday in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch,Dunedin, Invercargill and Gore.
The Auckland route:
Truck drivers are planning to join motorcades on the motorway and pour into the city from Symonds St, Nelson St and Fanshaw St off-ramps.
Trucks from the north and north western motorways will also head to the CBD.
They will then drive up Queen St.
The Tauranga route:
Truck drivers intend to avoid the expressways and will travel along Cameron Road, Marsh Street, Tauranga Harbour Bridge, Hewletts Road and Maunganui Road.
The Hamilton route:
From Pukete (Hamilton North) 50 or 60 trucks will drive down the Te Rapa straight (SH1) continuing onto Ulster St and then Anglesea St which runs parallel to Hamilton's main road, Victoria St.
On the other side of the river, 40 or so trucks will drive down Grey St and Peachgrove Rd turning down Boundary Rd, crossing the river and converging with Ulster St.
The Wellington route:
7am, leave McKays Crossing on State Highway 1 and Seaview, Petone, to travel south on State Highway 2
The convoys will merge on the motorway and travel south through The Terrace tunnel onto Vivian Street.
Dangerous goods vehicles are not allowed through the tunnel and will exit at The Terrace off-ramp to rejoin the convoy in Vivian Street.
They then head down Taranaki Street and onto Jervois Quay, turn into Whitmore Street and then up to Parliament where they will disperse.
The Nelson route:
Organisers of the Nelson drive are expecting over 100 trucks to turn up.
They will start at the Whakatu roundabout, follow Whakatu Drive, to Annesbrook Drive and on to Tahunanui Drive before hitting Rocks Rd and on to the Trafalgar Centre.
The truckies plan on repeating this drive for an hour and-a-half.
The Christchurch route:
Truckies in the garden city will gather at Riccarton Racecourse before leaving down Epsom Rd, turn into Blenheim Rd, down Moorhouse Ave, into Montreal St. They will then turn into Salisbury St, then into Manchester St, right into Montreal St and finally angling left at Victoria before dispersing at Bealey Ave.
A second group will gather on Old Main North Rd, turn into Tram Rd, then onto the motorway through to the Main North Rd, through to the Cranford St intersection and continue on to Papanui Rd.
Truckies will drive into Victoria St, right into Durham St, then onto Lichfield St before turning into Madras St and then onto Kilmore before hitting Victoria St and dispersing at Bealey Ave or Papanui Rd.
The Dunedin route:
One lot of trucks will leave south Dunedin, travel up the one-way system, on to Princes St and do a loop of the Octagon. Another set of trucks will leave north Dunedin, travel down the one-way system, on to Princes St before doing a loop of the Octagon.
The Invercargill route:
Further south one lot of truckies will start at Otepuni Ave, turn into Tramway Rd, then into Tay St and on into Dee St and out into North Rd.
Another lot will leave Basstian St, down Benmore and on to North Rd, coming to a stop at the intersection with Dee and Tay St. The city council has agreed to close off Tay St and truckies will hold a media conference outside the church.
The Gore route:
Truckies from Gore will travel down Oreti St on to Aparima St and on to Charlton Rd before hitting State Highway One, past the police station and over the bridge. The convoy will then turn up Church St and do a lap of the town.
