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Tue 22 Feb |
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| The Nationals Senator for New South Wales John Williams has called on the Gillard Government to allocate more funds for heavy transport rest areas.
During questioning in Senate Estimates, Senator Williams said the plan by the Government to allow B-triples on major highways to better access ports makes it imperative more be done for driver safety. “The trucking industry paid $1.4 billion in road user charges in the year to July 2010. It’s a revenue bonanza for the Government. Yet it allocated just $70 million over 4 years for new and upgraded rest areas. The amount of freight on our roads is increasing, and it is essential that our roads are as safe as possible. The Federal Government needs to spend more money not only building new rest areas for the transport industry, but also upgrading existing ones to ease the congestion.. It will take more than the paltry $17 million a year it has offered for the past four years”. Senator Williams said. |
News Room Media Releases GOVERNMENT SHOULD FUND MORE TRANSPORT REST AREAS
Comments
As a former heavy vehicle driver and someone who still travels nearly 1,200km's per week on the Pacific Highway, it is clear that not only are there insufficient truck parking bays but many of the existing ones are too small to cater for B doubles, road trains etc. They are without any amenities or clean drinking water, are not shielded from traffic noise and often place the stopping truck at risk of collision from behind as there is no exit lane to avoid a huge speed differential.
At a time when the road freight task is rapidly growing, the lack of related infrastructure investment will sadly add to the tragedies played out almost daily. This affects the professionals drivers, the motoring public and the families of both not to mention the economic impact on the states and our nation.
Keep up the good fight John!
Now if only we could get some commonsense regulation from the states to deal with the many other problems the road transport industry faces