Thursday, July 3, 2008 - Page updated at 06:10 PM
E-mail article
Print view Share:
Digg
Newsvine
New Zealand trucks snarl cities in tax protest
Morning rush-hour traffic slowed to a crawl in most New Zealand cities Friday as truckers snarled highways and streets with thousands of vehicles to protest higher road taxes.
Morning rush-hour traffic slowed to a crawl in most New Zealand cities Friday as truckers snarled highways and streets with thousands of vehicles to protest higher road taxes.
Tens of thousands of commuters took to highways early to beat the road chaos as truckers driving as slow as 1 mph swarmed into more than a dozen city centers and blocked traffic.
In the main city of Auckland, big rigs sounded air horns as crowds of people clapped and waved in support of the protest that gridlocked the city center. Some vehicles carried placards reading "Good things come by Truck."
The move was sparked by the government hiking road-user tax paid by haulers, adding up to $3,000 in annual operating costs to each truck. Trucking companies said the cost would be passed on to consumers through higher charges.
"The aim of the exercise today is to send a message to the Minister of Transport ... and get Joe Public on our side," owner-operator Nigel Boyd told National Radio.
In the capital, Wellington, up to 200 trucks crawled past the nation's Parliament, angrily sounding air horns in protest as they drove by.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
A Bing deal for Microsoft, News Corp.?
Amazon, Wal-Mart escalate Web price war
6.8-magnitude quake rattles Tonga
8 charged in probe of terrorism-recruiting network in U.S.
Hate crimes against gays, religious groups up, FBI says

This feature requires Flash 7.
Top video | World | Science / Tech | Entertainment
nwautos
Local riders say they've seen a surge in scooter interest in recent years, mostly from people wanting another commuting option. Seattle now ranks as o...
Post a comment
nwjobs
Post a comment
Michelle Goodman blogs about work/life balance.
Do you suffer from "sitting disease"?
Post a comment
- Two men in Everett shoot each other early today
- Steve Kelley | Next Seahawks GM should be Mike Holmgren
- Mariners Blog | Jose Lopez appears to be on his way out
- Illegal workers quietly let go
- Amazon, Wal-Mart escalate Web price war
- As glam as he wants to be: Adam Lambert's real debut
- Sprouts, raw fish on attorney's 'do not eat' list
- Bellevue Blog | Bellevue residents blast new bikini espresso stand
- Big demand, grim outlook for state Basic Health Plan
- Husky Men's Basketball Blog | An interview with Enes Kanter's coach
- Sprouts, raw fish on attorney's 'do not eat' list
- Tattoos at Mill Creek church pierce skin, soul
- Food-safety lawyer's wish: Put me out of business
- Illegal workers quietly let go
- Architects, chefs find 'kid' within to build Gingerbread Village
- Nicole Brodeur | Homeless woman bent on giving
- Portland cafe's specialty: medical-marijuana tokes
- Big demand, grim outlook for state Basic Health Plan
- Hutch gets $10M from Bezos family for immunotherapy research
- Rediscovering Moab, 'the most beautiful place on Earth'




