Update on courier services to earthquake-impacted regions
15-Nov-2016 01:45 p.m. - Minal Gulabdas
Wellington's CBD is still an issue with Featherston Street and surrounding streets closed to vehicles and foot traffic today Tuesday 15 Nov.
So there will be no deliveries there, and there are buildings throughout the CBD that have yet to been assessed and cleared, and others that are reported to be not habitable at all.
The major shopping malls of North City, Porirua and Westfield Queensgate Lower Hutt remain closed until further notice.
As if this weren't enough for Wellingtonians to be dealing with, the stormy weather has created additional problems, with flooding in parts of the capital and up the Kapiti Coast causing access issues. We will not be sending day runs north of Wellington city to the Kapiti Coast or to Masterton today.
Inter-island ferries are operating but on a reduced service due to the berthing options at both Picton and Wellington. Some inter-island road freight travelling north to south is currently on the water and will travel down the West Coast of the South Island via Greymouth and Arthur's Pass to Christchurch, adding several hours to linehaul timings. Freight from the North Island for the lower half of the South Island may take an extra 1 to 2 days to be delivered.
Kaikoura continues to be completely cut off so we cannot deliver any freight in this area. For customers sending freight to Kaikoura and parts of North Canterbury where infrastructure has been damaged, we ask that they hold on to it until further notice, as we are unable to process it and it will be returned to them.
Cheviot is now open to road transport and we are able to deliver to this area via Christchurch (normally this freight is delivered by, and transits via Kaikoura).
There are linehaul (and therefore delivery) delays into both Nelson and Blenheim as the trucks have to go the long way around through SH7 (the Lewis Pass road), where there is earthquake damage.
There is also flooding in both Nelson and Marlborough (including Kaikoura) due to the severe weather overnight which will also mean further delays. There will be no dayruns operating out of Nelson to Blenheim and Takaka. The highway between Picton and Blenheim is now open so normal service has been resumed between those two centres.
Christchurch and mid-Canterbury are operating as usual (apart from the delays in delivery of freight from the North Island), although delays are to be expected in to the Hanmer Springs, Culverden and Waiau areas.
Anyone needing to send freight urgently between the islands are recommended to use the overnight airfreight option, but as we explained yesterday, this will be at normal airfreight rates, as we do not have the capacity to be flying the large volumes of freight that normally transit by road.
While we are doing everything we can to provide a 'business as usual' operation, we will continue to face challenges in both directions as road closures, damaged infrastructure and limited options are making linehaul difficult.
Airfreight
Any customers who have urgent 'must go' inter-island freight are advised that airfreight remains available, but because of limited capacity, this will remain at airfreight rates.
For further information or enquiry, please contact your account manager at Post Haste Couriers, Castle Parcels, NOW Couriers, and New Zealand Couriers.
Rest assured that we will be doing our best to keep you informed of these fast-moving developments, and we will bring you updates via email and your courier brand's website.
So there will be no deliveries there, and there are buildings throughout the CBD that have yet to been assessed and cleared, and others that are reported to be not habitable at all.
The major shopping malls of North City, Porirua and Westfield Queensgate Lower Hutt remain closed until further notice.
As if this weren't enough for Wellingtonians to be dealing with, the stormy weather has created additional problems, with flooding in parts of the capital and up the Kapiti Coast causing access issues. We will not be sending day runs north of Wellington city to the Kapiti Coast or to Masterton today.
Inter-island ferries are operating but on a reduced service due to the berthing options at both Picton and Wellington. Some inter-island road freight travelling north to south is currently on the water and will travel down the West Coast of the South Island via Greymouth and Arthur's Pass to Christchurch, adding several hours to linehaul timings. Freight from the North Island for the lower half of the South Island may take an extra 1 to 2 days to be delivered.
Kaikoura continues to be completely cut off so we cannot deliver any freight in this area. For customers sending freight to Kaikoura and parts of North Canterbury where infrastructure has been damaged, we ask that they hold on to it until further notice, as we are unable to process it and it will be returned to them.
Cheviot is now open to road transport and we are able to deliver to this area via Christchurch (normally this freight is delivered by, and transits via Kaikoura).
There are linehaul (and therefore delivery) delays into both Nelson and Blenheim as the trucks have to go the long way around through SH7 (the Lewis Pass road), where there is earthquake damage.
There is also flooding in both Nelson and Marlborough (including Kaikoura) due to the severe weather overnight which will also mean further delays. There will be no dayruns operating out of Nelson to Blenheim and Takaka. The highway between Picton and Blenheim is now open so normal service has been resumed between those two centres.
Christchurch and mid-Canterbury are operating as usual (apart from the delays in delivery of freight from the North Island), although delays are to be expected in to the Hanmer Springs, Culverden and Waiau areas.
Anyone needing to send freight urgently between the islands are recommended to use the overnight airfreight option, but as we explained yesterday, this will be at normal airfreight rates, as we do not have the capacity to be flying the large volumes of freight that normally transit by road.
While we are doing everything we can to provide a 'business as usual' operation, we will continue to face challenges in both directions as road closures, damaged infrastructure and limited options are making linehaul difficult.
Airfreight
Any customers who have urgent 'must go' inter-island freight are advised that airfreight remains available, but because of limited capacity, this will remain at airfreight rates.
For further information or enquiry, please contact your account manager at Post Haste Couriers, Castle Parcels, NOW Couriers, and New Zealand Couriers.
Rest assured that we will be doing our best to keep you informed of these fast-moving developments, and we will bring you updates via email and your courier brand's website.