Two new rest areas will be built on key Queensland road freight routes in an effort to help the trucking
Two new rest areas will be built on key Queensland road freight routes in an effort to help the trucking industry comply with fatigue management laws.
The Bligh Government has announced the locations of two of its proposed 11 rest areas as part of a $6 million investment package.
One facility will be built on the Castlereagh Highway between Dirranbandi and St George, while another rest stop will be built on the Gulf Developmental Road between Georgetown and Croydon.
“The recent introduction of stronger heavy vehicle driver fatigue management regulations has highlighted the need for strategically placed heavy vehicle rest areas,” Minister for Main Roads Warren Pitt says.
“The Bligh Government is investing billions of dollars on building and upgrading Queensland roads but amid the bridges and bypasses, road user safety still remains our number one priority,” Minister for Main Roads Warren Pitt says.
He says the Government has been consulting the trucking industry for the past 18 months on where best to build rest areas.
The decision on rest area location came after a roundtable discussion with trucking industry groups and the Transport Workers Union (TWU).
Pitt says the Government will also use $5 million from red light and speeding revenue to build rest areas in 2009-10.
The Federal Government has also committed to funding five new rest sites on the Warrego Highway and 10 new sites on the Bruce Highway from 2009-10 to 2013-14.