Funding over and above current pledge welcomed
The National Road Transport Association says the $80 million pledge by the Federal Opposition for new truck road stops is welcome, but more needs to be done by all levels of government to alleviate driver fatigue.
NatRoad CEO Warren Clark says his organisation agrees with the industry view that existing funding programs for rest areas are “woefully insufficient”.
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“The Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program (HVSPP) is one of the Australian Government’s main programs for funding rest areas and an industry analysis shows it is running at an annual spend of about only $5.5 million,” Clark says.
“The whole national network needs to be thoroughly audited.
“You can’t have a world class road freight system unless you have strategically placed, world class rest areas.”
Clark says any commitment over and above current funding was welcome.
“It’s NatRoad’s strong view that Federal road grants to the states and territories need to be tied to upgrading and building truck rest areas,” Clark says.
“All current and proposed rest areas should all be graded in accordance with the 2019 Austroads’ Guidelines for the Provision of Heavy Vehicle Rest Areas Facilities and a plan put in place by governments for upgrading amenities and facilities.”