Why video telematics the next step in tackling driver distraction
It’s big news for Auckland – the Waterview Tunnel project has opened after five years of construction. Built by ‘Alice’, the 10th largest diameter boring machine in the world, the tunnel is a major talking point for Aucklanders and those in the transport industry.
The tunnel connects the Western and South-Western motorways, cutting out the previous trip through suburban streets. The Waterview Tunnel is part of the larger Western Ring Route which provides a second route through Auckland, bypassing the city, in addition to State Highway 1. The tunnel also creates more efficient links to and from Auckland Airport, Ports of Auckland and inland freight hubs, reducing the cost of doing business in Auckland and throughout the country.
Swiftly integrated into Teletrac Navman’s GPS Vehicle Tracking System, the new routes may well be the fastest for your fleet vehicles. Even if your large truck is restricted from the tunnel, the overland detour will be less congested, making the journey faster.
Key info for transport management:
Speed restriction: 80km/hr. The speed limit may change for safety reasons and digital signs will show the current limit.
Height restriction: 4.3 metres.
Vehicle restrictions: Any Dangerous Good Vehicles (those requiring a placard) and vehicles carrying an uncovered loose or bulk load are not allowed to use the tunnel.
Detour: The suburban detour is well signposted, alerting drivers of the last motorway offramps before the tunnel.
Traffic: Early telematics data from NZTA is showing travel time between the CBD and the airport has been slashed by around 20 minutes. Commuting times between Central, West, East and South Auckland appear to have dropped on major roads and motorways.
Closures: The tunnel is scheduled to close 4x per year at night for routine maintenance.
Aotearoa’s expanding road network
Whether the tunnel will affect your business or not, it’s vital for the transport industry and those with large fleets to know the best routes to use. GPS systems take into account traffic congestion and speed restrictions around new tunnels, motorways, bridges, short cuts and traffic lights in New Zealand.
Integrated into fleet tracking software, this detailed data provides users with a really personal look at their own fleet requirements. Once you have a good handle on the data, maximising the use of each vehicle can save costs on maintenance, WOFs, regos and new vehicles. Optimising your route to save time and money
New roading infrastructure offers more route options, transport management helps you navigate these. Recently Teletrac Navman partnered with PTV Group who are experts in route optimisation for transport, with over 37 years of experience. Route optimisation reduces driving time – giving you more time with customers and cutting costs. Route optimisation reduces unnecessary fleet costs, lowers fuel bills, and reduces vehicle maintenance.
Route optimisation also helps allocate jobs more effectively, saving significant time and effort. The technology can calculate a schedule in seconds, and consider repeated jobs, traffic obstacles and other factors. You can plan the number of delivery runs you need to make, as well as the length, duration and sequence of orders.
If you have a fleet on New Zealand’s roads, use the right technology to save time and money.