Four options to improve the roadworthiness of heavy vehicles in Australia have been released by The National Transport Commission (NTC) for comment.
Chief Executive Officer of the NTC, Paul Retter, encouraged all interested parties to provide feedback on the Draft Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement.
“Heavy vehicles will always be an important part of Australia’s economy. Our challenge is to make them as safe as possible. The safety of all road users must be our primary consideration,” Mr Retter said.
“While the condition of heavy vehicles is just one of many factors that affect Australia’s road toll, we need to do what we can to reduce any crashes caused by poorly maintained vehicles. Safer trucks means safer travel for everyone.
“By improving heavy vehicle roadworthiness we will be able to reduce the pain of road trauma, increase the productivity of truck fleets and also reduce traffic congestion caused by truck breakdowns.”
According to the statistics compiled by the NTC 213 Australians died in crashes involving heavy vehicles in the past 12 months.
Potential changes outlined in the four options include:
- inspection processes and procedures
- education and training
- greater capability to target the highest risks
- scheduled inspections
- accreditation schemes
- possible changes to chain of responsibility laws.
“People should bear in mind that none of these packages represent final decisions but are instead designed to encourage feedback from stakeholders on areas of possible reform,” Mr Retter said.
The NTC will present its final recommendations to Australia’s transport ministers in July. Any interested parties who would like to give comment on the proposed changes is encouraged to do so by Monday, 23 March 2015. Submissions can be lodged on the NTC website.
“Anyone making a submission should include evidence where possible, to ensure any changes best reflect the needs of Australia’s heavy vehicle industry, other road users and the Australian public,” Mr Retter said.
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