KEY POINTS:
Commuters on Auckland's Queen St largely supported the truckies' protest this morning, despite some having to get up an hour earlier and travel times into town taking up to three times as long.
Members of the public stood on the road side taking photographs on their cell phones and calling out. Truckies responded by sounding their air horns, creating a cacophony of noise that rebounded off the high rise buildings.
Alan Lightbody came into town from Glenfield this morning and "got up a bit earlier".
"I got on a very loaded bus. Onewa Rd was chocka," Mr Lightbody said.
He said he supported the protest. "You only have to look at the trucks. Enough is enough, get rid of the government," he said.
Standing next to him was Samantha Alexander. Ms Alexander said the protest should go on everyday until the government backtracked.
She interrupted her comments to wave and cheer as a stream of trucks sounded their horns.
Ms ALexander said the Government should have given truckies more notice of the increase in Road User Charges.
Murray Heap came from Wellsford drove down to Auckland with his wife this morning.
"We've got a meeting so we just left an hour earlier," Mr Heap said.
He said he supported the truckies' right to protest and that costs had gone up for everyone.
Richard Hart walked to work from Mt Eden.
"To tell you the truth, it didn't affect me at all," Mr Hart said.
He said he did not know enough about Road User Charges to comment on the reason for the protest but strongly supported the truckies' right to protest.
"I think it's great what they're doing, it's not illegal," Mr Hart said.
Mary-Jane Richards said walking to work had been like taking part in a festival.
"I always walk to work but it's just made it a bit more interesting. I think good on them and I'm surprised they were able to get away with it. I think it's brilliant," Ms Richards said.
She said businesses could suffer a set-back in productivity with workers running late "but that's the point, to give the Government a wake-up call".
Lee Tyson came from Taranaki yesterday and was going to stop in Hamilton last night but after hearing of the protest, decided to drive the full distance.
"I think it's good, the Government did wrong by increasing prices," Mr Tyson said.
Geoff Holland was the only person nzherald.co.nz spoke to on Queen St who did not support the protest.
"I think it's a bit silly really. There's tons of trucks on the road and they make a hell of a mess. They can pass on the costs to the consumer," Mr Holland said.
He said everyone paid huge taxes and if the truckies couldn't pass their costs on then that was their problem.
