New Zealand Post service delivery manager Kiri Panirau with one of the first Paxsters, an electric mail and parcel delivery vehicle proposed for Invercargill.

New Zealand Post's requirement for the Invercargill City Council to approve the use of delivery Paxsters may have hit a roadblock.

Some councillors say the 400kg vehicle could be dangerous on the city's roads and footpaths.

The New Zealand Transport Agency has approved the Paxsters to operate on public roads, but the issue of public footpath use is in the hands of individual councils.

Two Paxsters have been sent to Invercargill for the council to examine.

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Councillors discussed the use of the vehicle on the city's footpaths at a meeting of the council's Finance and Policy committee on Monday.

Cr Peter Kett said he had concerns about the city's footpaths "for years and years".

There was already plenty of activity on the paths, with children on wheels and mobility scooters, Kett said.

Paxsters would travel at 45kmph, maximum on the road. On footpaths Paxsters would hit a maximum of 20kmph.

"In terms of safety, I oppose it," Kett said.

Kett said he also had concerns that if NZ Post introduced Paxsters, multiple other delivery services could follow suit.

"If it is a success then the other 10 to 12 delivery companies might want to do it as well, and it will be complete mayhem."

However, council roading manager Russell Pearson said NZ Post was conscious the vehicles needed to operate in a safe manner.

The council could potentially terminate NZ Post's agreement, if problems occurred, Pearson said.

Committee chairman Cr Lindsay Thomas said NZ Post's roll out of the Paxsters would involve a lot of delivery staff training.

The report to the council was provided as information only, so councillors would be aware of potential changes to delivery in the city.

The use of the vehicle as a trial was appropriate, the report says. The committee decided to request a trial period.

Within the next two years NZ Post aimed to have 500 Paxsters in operation.

If the target was achieved, the Paxsters were expected to be the largest fleet of road legal, fully electric vehicles in New Zealand.