My husband travels this hill every day and my son multiple times and day and I know the challenges they have. My son owns his own truck and as a solo operator, if he had to travel the alternative route, Palmertson North, due to a major slip it would financially cripple him with the additional fuel, RUCs and maintenance costs. Have we not learned from the manawatu gorge slip which had huge impact even though there were alternative routes. There are no suitable alternatives from the Wairarapa to Wellington