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Eva888
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  #3400509 7-Aug-2025 08:53
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So mum with four school kids that lives in a State house and owns an old jalopy and Facebook is the closest thing to tech she uses is going to do odometer readings and use an app to pay monthly? 

 

Ditto grandma who can barely fill her own car once every three months at the pump and only has a car she drives once a week to pick up groceries down the hill. 

I can think of a lot more cases where changing to RUC is going to be difficult for them to understand and implement and using an E-RUC company to do this is going to be an extra cost. All you people looking after parents prepare for another job to add to the ever growing list. 

 

Will commodity prices increase when trucks pay a lot more? 

 


Personally as a law abiding procrastinator, I don’t like the idea of any more admin taking up my days and adding an extra layer of angst when it slipped off my radar and I see a cop car in the next lane, nor the fact that as someone else has pointed out that it could eventually become big brotherish in many ways. Petrol tax is simple.




olivernz
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  #3400515 7-Aug-2025 09:08
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Can't but think that this is a purely political stunt. Look at who is disincentivised and who is incentivised. While charging RUC on everything is the right move, it is but one of the changes needed. In order for this to create an even playing field more taxes are needed. e.g. CO2 tax and congestion tax, making separate rulesets for private vs work vehicles. Then you start wondering if this is making things more complicated. So the advantage of making these changes is pandering to the National voters amongst us that fit the winners of these changes. It targets EVs or anything pro climate and literally pushes the buck to those that can afford it least.


smac
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  #3400516 7-Aug-2025 09:18
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nickb800:

 

For example, eroad devices have a screen to display RUCs so that Police and others can visually see if the RUCs are up to date. A change of regulation might mean a screen is no longer required, with a central system for police to search a number plate to see if the RUCs are compliant. 

 

 

That central system already exists. Bishop and others in the media keep saying "the existing system is paper based".  This is complete bollocks. The system is completely electronic and has been for decades. The only part that is "paper" is the label (which is not paper), and most heavy vehicles don't display it anyway. They buy too frequently to be pissing about putting labels in pockets on the windscreen, plus they are too easily lost/damaged on trailers. 

 

NZ has one of the oldest vehicle fleets in the developed world, due to geography, economics, and the lack of a vehicle production industry. The biggest hurdle for this change will be paying for a solution for older vehicles, and non-techie people (they exist and are the majority, a concept lost on most people on this forum!).  

 

The politicians don't give a toss about private operator compliance, NZ'ers are rule followers (except when talking to the media). Non compliance will be in single digit percentage points and will not make a difference to the overall effectiveness of revenue gathering. The massive majority of RUC will still be paid by commercial operators, who have to comply to stay in business. 




johno1234
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  #3400517 7-Aug-2025 09:20
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davidcole:

 

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha 

 

you've been alive for x years and you've seen this happen exactly how many times?

 

 

Once - per road tolls example.

 

SaltyNZ is right. Currently the RUC service charge is a massive $12 partly because there's a physical component of printing a label, stuffing it in an envelope, getting the envelope into the postal system and delivering it to the vehicle's address. There's also a low economy-of-scale to spread this overhead across. Once RUC is universal, with no physical labels and scaled across every road vehicle, it will not be any where near $12. Currently NZTA collects tolls through a camera and online system and there's no fee other than the toll itself but significant fees for being outside of the automated process - casual user charges from $1.50 to $4.90. So if the tolls example holds for RUC then setting oneself up for automated billing should mean zero or close to zero service fee.

 

 

 

 


SaltyNZ
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  #3400518 7-Aug-2025 09:21
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smac:

 

They buy too frequently to be pissing about putting labels in pockets on the windscreen, 

 

 

 

 

Pfff I think I am about 3 RUCs out of date on the one on my windscreen... it's a complete waste of time, money, and plastic.





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johno1234
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  #3400565 7-Aug-2025 09:23
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olivernz:

 

Can't but think that this is a purely political stunt. Look at who is disincentivised and who is incentivised. While charging RUC on everything is the right move, it is but one of the changes needed. In order for this to create an even playing field more taxes are needed. e.g. CO2 tax and congestion tax, making separate rulesets for private vs work vehicles. Then you start wondering if this is making things more complicated. So the advantage of making these changes is pandering to the National voters amongst us that fit the winners of these changes. It targets EVs or anything pro climate and literally pushes the buck to those that can afford it least.

 

 

You have that exactly around the wrong way. Poor people with older inefficient petrol cars are over paying their road build/maintain share and wealthy drivers with EVs and modern efficient cars are under-charged. 

 

You are also dragging in issues that are not related to RUC - emissions and congestion. RUC is for road maintenance and building. 


 
 
 

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johno1234
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  #3400567 7-Aug-2025 09:27
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SaltyNZ:

 

smac:

 

They buy too frequently to be pissing about putting labels in pockets on the windscreen, 

 

 

 

 

Pfff I think I am about 3 RUCs out of date on the one on my windscreen... it's a complete waste of time, money, and plastic.

 

 

I am routinely behind on the RUC miles themselves. I simply don't bother/remember to look and see where I am up to. Eventually at WOF or registration time it is brought to my attention and I bring it up to date with a large RUC purchase.

 

 


networkn
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  #3400569 7-Aug-2025 09:29
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davidcole:

 

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha 

 

you've been alive for x years and you've seen this happen exactly how many times?

 

 

Wow dude, this is an exceptionally obnoxious response. 

 

Lots of things have been implemented recently out of neccessity. You might have said the same of electronic prescriptions prior to Covid given they were faxed and there had been 20 years of angst over it's replacement. Along comes Covid and it's done and dusted.  You migtht have said the same about replacing DSL with Fibre, yet here we are. 

 

 


BlakJak
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  #3400570 7-Aug-2025 09:34
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Requiring electronic devices tracking RUC to be operating in all vehicles is a move they'll have to manage carefully - privacy hounds will revolt.

 

It will be interesting to see precisely how this is anticipated to work.

 

And i'm not taking bets on my TCO doing anything but going upwards regardless. As a Prius driver.





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davidcole
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  #3400571 7-Aug-2025 09:37
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networkn:

 

davidcole:

 

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha 

 

you've been alive for x years and you've seen this happen exactly how many times?

 

 

Wow dude, this is an exceptionally obnoxious response. 

 

Lots of things have been implemented recently out of neccessity. You might have said the same of electronic prescriptions prior to Covid given they were faxed and there had been 20 years of angst over it's replacement. Along comes Covid and it's done and dusted.  You migtht have said the same about replacing DSL with Fibre, yet here we are. 

 

 

 

 

yeah maybe.  I have a pretty low expectation of anything that will benefit actual people with changes in this process.  I'd expect maybe a $1 - $2off the prices.  now that it reduces to < $5.

 

Parking meters with $0.50 processing fees, ticket service  fees, credit card surcharges are where I base this from.

 

So forgive my obnoxious response if you take it personally, but I think people would be naive to expect to save a useful amount of money and not just a token saving.





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Behodar
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  #3400573 7-Aug-2025 09:49
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BlakJak:

 

And i'm not taking bets on my TCO doing anything but going upwards regardless. As a Prius driver.

 

 

Yeah, it looks like I'm going to end up paying more as well. I currently pay around $30/1000 km in FED, so going to anywhere near $76 is going to cost me more. And as someone else already pointed out, there's no way that the petrol stations will actually reduce prices by the full 70c/litre.


 
 
 

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wellygary
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  #3400576 7-Aug-2025 09:59
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Behodar:

 

There's no way that the petrol stations will actually reduce prices by the full 70c/litre.

 

 

Why not?, They did exactly that in 2022 when 25c/l was removed


networkn
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  #3400578 7-Aug-2025 10:05
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davidcole:

 

yeah maybe.  I have a pretty low expectation of anything that will benefit actual people with changes in this process.  I'd expect maybe a $1 - $2off the prices.  now that it reduces to < $5.

 

Parking meters with $0.50 processing fees, ticket service  fees, credit card surcharges are where I base this from.

 

So forgive my obnoxious response if you take it personally, but I think people would be naive to expect to save a useful amount of money and not just a token saving.

 

 

It isn't and shouldn't be about saving money. It should be about a fit for purpose way of tracking and asking people to contribute to the costs of maintaining our roads, which are a neccessary part of our existence. 

 

Kiwis are going to need to come to terms with the fact the world is changing and as such, we will need to adjust to new ways of living and working. There are costs to be bourne of this change and there will be some bumps along the way. 

 

 


HarmLessSolutions
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  #3400580 7-Aug-2025 10:08
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Behodar:

 

BlakJak:

 

And i'm not taking bets on my TCO doing anything but going upwards regardless. As a Prius driver.

 

 

Yeah, it looks like I'm going to end up paying more as well. I currently pay around $30/1000 km in FED, so going to anywhere near $76 is going to cost me more. And as someone else already pointed it, there's no way that the petrol stations will actually reduce prices by the full 70c/litre.

 

The National Land Transport Fund part of FET is 70c/L +GST so 80.5c/L for most of us. 

 

That said I would be both surprised and disappointed if the petrol pump price dropped by that much. It would reduce the disincentive of running a high consumption vehicle so a windfall for V8s, DCUs, etc so an increase in carbon/ETS taxation needs to be part of this RUC system change to correct the balance in terms of emissions reduction.





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Bung
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  #3400581 7-Aug-2025 10:09
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It would be a lot easier to spin recovering say 5c out of 70c than 25c.


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