Public support as truckers head through city

Jul 4th, 2008 | By Sandra Dickson | Category: News

Watch the video report here

Truckies slowing traffic in protest at a sudden increase in road charges were greeted with resounding support from the Wellington public today.

Motorists tooted their horns, pedestrians held up placards, and the mood was remarkably calm as roads into the city were blocked with trucks for several hours.

Police kept traffic moving throughout the city, and the consideration of the truckies in making their point was appreciated by Wellingtonians, many of whom expected the protests could have ground the city to a near halt.

Supporters on the corner of Taranaki and Ghuznee Street clapped their hands and shouted words of encouragement to the drivers as they drove past. “If I had a truck I would definitely be out there tooting my horn with them,” said one bystander.

The protest caused minor problems for local business, including the Wellington City New World.

“The delivery was supposed to be here at least 45 minutes ago,” said a stock room worker at the store. Some truck drivers opted to deliver their cargo early and joined the protest when the other trucks arrived in the city.

One lone man chose to protest the protest, holding up a sign stating: “Let me on: I want a free ride too.”

“These truckies are missing the point,” the man said (video). “They expect petrol consumers to subsidise their costs.”

Additional reporting by Jessica Dixon, Jenny Meyer and Kristina Keogh

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Sandra Dickson is a student journo who loves to write. Her interests, apart from media slavery, include social justice, music, sports and gardening. Preferably a combination of all four. She doesn't know yet what she wants to be when she grows up.
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Dave Lee / jBlog » Introducing NewsWire: If you run a journalism school, you need to do this September 23rd, 2008 8:37 am :
[...] On our launch day, we were handed a gift. Hundreds of truck drivers rolled into Wellington for a mass protest. We covered every inch of the city. WE BEAT EVERY NEWS WEBSITE IN NEW ZEALAND to pictures. We had video, pictures, twitter feeds (offline now… the story is over) and, of course, good old fashioned copy. [...]