Truck operators and drivers asked to provide their views on the state of the rural road network.
Trucking operators and drivers have long complained about the poor quality of rural roads around the country.
Now they have the chance to detail just how bad it is and what can be done to improve the network.
Austroads and the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) are conducting a survey that seeks to gain feedback on how the trucking industry views current rural road service levels.
The survey, which takes about 15 minutes to complete, asks questions relating to road surfaces, road and lane geometry, traffic impacts and the type of work each respondent carries out.
“The purpose of this survey is to develop a practical approach to the management of rural arterials that is intended to provide a fit-for-purpose level of service (LOS) for each of the major rural arterial categories that comprise the rural arterial road network,” ARRB says.
“The survey is directed at three main groups of stakeholders: heavy vehicle drivers, heavy vehicle fleet managers, and road infrastructure managers.”
ARRB says the outcome of the survey will be used to determine maintenance strategies for rural arterial roads.
“In some cases, this could mean that incremental road upgrade practices may be needed to deliver an appropriate LOS for some rural arterials with higher levels of functionality, based primarily on strategic importance and levels of freight traffic,” ARRB says.
It says it is also particularly keen to interview heavy vehicle drivers in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
Those who wish to be interviewed about the state of the road network can contact ARRB directly through Shoukry Marzouk on 03 9881 1556 or via email or Tim Martin on 03 9881 1564 or via email.
Click here to take the survey.
Photography: Greg Bush