A trio of Australian heavy vehicle associations are celebrating the removal of a Victorian bridge assessment fee policy that will make structural assessments more efficient.
The Victorian Transport Association (VTA), National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) and the Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA) have all spent the past 12 months discussing with the Victorian government a way to enable easier pathways for the state’s heavy vehicles.
This has culminated in the announcement that an automated assessment program for Class 1 and 2 heavy vehicles will be made available from January 1 next year.
This system will be known as the Heavy Vehicle Structural Assessment Permit System and will result in up to 85 per cent of structural assessments being automated, significantly reducing assessment and response times while eliminating all fees for the industry.
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The three associations have previously called for the fees and the policy to be removed, arguing it would result in easier access pathways for many heavy vehicle combinations including innovative B-doubles, A-doubles, Performance Based Standards (PBS) vehicles, quad-axle semi-trailers and combinations featuring low and zero-emissions trucks.
The associations say these combinations have proven to be safer, more efficient and more productive than many conventional heavy vehicle combinations that don’t require access permits.
“This is a great outcome for road transport operators who have been struggling with rising costs. We acknowledge the Victorian government’s commitment to reducing red tape and improving the efficiency and productivity of our industry,” NatRoad CEO Warren Clark says.
VTA CEO Peter Anderson says this is a “crucial milestone for Victorian road freight productivity and efficiency”.
“On behalf of all our members, we wholeheartedly thank the Victorian government for listening and acting on the real needs of the industry,” he says.
HVIA CEO Todd Hacking says the removal of the policy is “an absolute win for industry”.
“It’s also a win for the wider Victorian community, who will enjoy the benefits of a greater number of safer, more productive and more efficient trucks in the years to come,” he says.
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