Queensalnd Member for Warrego and shadow minister for Main Roads Howard Hobbs (pictured) writes:
Heavy truck drivers were all-but being forced to break fatigue driving laws because of the lack of proper rest areas.
Parliamentary Estimates yesterday (17/07/08) heard that the Bligh government was failing to provide enough heavy vehicle rest areas by under-funding the Department of Main Roads which was responsible for half the 200 heavy vehicle rest areas on Queensland roads.
The recent Audit of Rest Areas against National Guidelines found rest opportunities for heavy vehicle drivers in Queensland were particularly scarce.
It’s disgraceful that the Bligh government has allocated just $3 million over the next five years to construct and upgrade of heavy vehicle rest areas.
Photo: An example of one of many designated Truck rest stop areas. Drivers are expected to stop and break here for 8-12 hours with no shower or toilet facilities. The only facilities in a number of these areas is a wheelie bin.
We need far more, and far more with better facilities. I am highly critical of the Bligh government for under-funding heavy vehicle rest areas, especially as drivers had to comply with national fatigue laws and Road Rule 200 which barred heavy vehicles from parking around towns and cities for more than an hour.
The government is forcing drivers to break the law and drive while fatigued because of the lack of proper rest areas.
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Have Your say! Do you support Mick Pattel and transport owner operators and drivers in their action to have issues like inadequate and unacceptable heavy vehicle driver rest stops facilities brought up to scratch?
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Tags: Howard Hobbs, Mick Pattel, Transport
I wonder If Mr Hobbs and his Liberal/Nationals will support the truckies,
so come on Howard, lets know if you and your party will stand with the truckies in their endevours?
It looks like Hughie Williams is on side and with the TWU on side a possibility exists that a real show of strength may emerge.
Farmers and Truckies…. what a force
Rowell Walton
NOT JUST NEW RULES ,EXTRACT FROM SYDNEY PAPER
Truckies fined when forced on to detour after fatal crash
THE State Government was accused of trying to profit from a fatal road accident after drivers, forced on to a detour route, were fined almost $1000 each for being on the wrong road.[/b]
In an extraordinary bungle, Roads and Traffic Authority officers even handed out the penalties knowing there was a fatality just hours earlier and traffic was being diverted towards them.
The incident occurred last month when a woman travelling on the Pacific Highway at Urunga was killed in a collision with two trucks.
The road was closed in both directions and traffic was diverted along an alternative route.
However as the route was not a designated B-double route - for large double-trailer trucks - a queue of trucks had nowhere to go.
After two hours RTA officials in Sydney authorised police to escort the trucks on the new route.
Yet down the road at Halfway Creek an RTA inspection station was pulling over and issuing fines of $980 each to the truckies for using the roads.
Documents obtained by The Daily Telegraph also show that the officer issuing the fines was aware of the accident but handed out the penalties regardless.
The first driver fined, Tim Heywood, was even helping police block the accident scene with his vehicle.
He told The Daily Telegraph that when he reached the inspection station later: “They ‘breached’ me with an off-route B-double ticket and informed me that any other B-double who came down would be ‘breached’ as well.”
Mr Heywood said he explained the situation - to no avail.
“They said, ‘Nothing we can do. We’re under strict instructions from Sydney to breach anyone who comes through’.”
The veteran driver said he was astounded by the decision.
“They’re gaining revenue out of someone’s death,” he said.
After being contacted by The Daily Telegraph the RTA admitted fining three drivers but said the fines would be waived.
“(An RTA) investigation has established the three infringement notices should be withdrawn because of the extenuating circumstances,” the agency said.
Yet, far from having the notice withdrawn, Mr Heywood said he last week received a reminder notice that payment was overdue.
“It’s just unbelievable,” he said.