Truck drivers asked to help keep Huntly quiet

Truck drivers are being urged to keep the noise down by not using their engine brakes when travelling through Huntly.

The NZ Transport Agency have installed a ‘no engine braking please’ sign for vehicles entering Huntly from the north, following a number of noise complaints from the community and guests staying at a local hotel.

The Transport Agency’s Highway Manager Kaye Clark said that while State Highway 1 (SH1) through Huntly is a critical link for the movement of freight in the upper North Island, it is also a residential area.

“We are asking truck drivers to respect the community’s request to reduce vehicle noise when travelling through their town” she said.

“The Transport Agency is focused on ensuring road freight is moved as safely and efficiently as possible and this includes appropriately managing engine braking noise to avoid disturbance to residents.”

The new sign is one of many the Transport Agency have installed to address noise issues from engine braking in urban areas across the Waikato.

Mrs Clark asked that freight industry groups pass the message on to their members.

“We know that in most cases it’s only a small minority of truck drivers that use engine brakes inappropriately and we’re asking them to please consider the communities they’re driving through,” Mrs Clark said.

ENDS

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