Govt may wipe haulage limit

Press, 22 June 1981, Page 27

Govt may wipe haulage limit

Wellington reporter An unrestricted road transport link between Nelson and Christchurch through the Lewis Pass stands a good chance of favourable consideration by the Government. This would involve an exemption from the. ,150 km road limit for all goods. The Transport AdvisoryCouncil is now examining a possible spread of exemptions from the 150 km limit over a wider - range of commodities carried by road. "I believe there is a

special case to be made for Nelson. We would be willing to consider a proposal for the area should the council's final exemption recommendations be unsatisfactory," said the chairman of the Government caucus commit- . tee on transport. Mr J. H. Elworthy. Mr Elworthy said that he favoured abolishing the 150 km limit on goods carried by road and that the caucus committee planned a review of the road-rail limit after the Railways Corporation

had been established. Nelson was particularly deserving because its annual notional railway subsidy of $2 million was withdrawn in 1979 and its horticultural production was expanding, Mr Elworthy said. The Independent member for Nelson, Mr M. F. Courtney. said that employers were strongly In favour of a total exemption and had guaranteed that prices for road haulage, after a total exemption, could be less than railway charges.