A media release which has come out about driver’s health and safety in the trucking industry does a really good job of illustrating both the solution and the problem on this topic.
The release in question is about an Upper House inquiry in the New South Wales parliament, in the Legislative Council. An inquiry has been established into the ‘pressures on heavy vehicle drivers and their impact in New South Wales’.
“This inquiry will examine the extent, nature and impact of pressures on heavy vehicle driver practice and how regulatory obligations are observed,” said Cate Faehrmann MLC, Chair of the Inquiry. “In particular, the committee will investigate how these pressures contribute to over height vehicle incidents and the use of rest areas and other fatigue management practices.”
They are also going to be exploring the impact, effectiveness and enforcement of current mechanisms to address the pressures on heavy vehicle drivers. This will include looking at training and education, penalties for over height vehicle incidents, and the availability, suitability and accessibility of heavy vehicle rest areas.
This is all very commendable and, if handled right, should make improvements in driver health and safety. We should applaud the initiative.
However, and it’s a very big however, this is just a Sydney-centric NSW-only initiative. The fact of the matter is these issues and the way the trucking industry works is a national issue. This is a national concern and the only way to get the right resources in place and the right policy being enacted is if any inquiry is national and covers all the bases.
The commentators on our industry will tell you that a genuine national consensus on this issue is impossible. The fact of the matter is the only way to make any difference is to come up with national solutions and to regulate the trucking industry in a national manner.
This is why this inquiry is an illustration of both the possible solution and the actual problem. The whole subject needs to be examined and there needs to be plenty of drilling down through the issues. At the same time if we do it state by state and city by city, we are wasting our time and a gaggle of pollies and officials are going to pontificate to no avail, and we are going to end up with zero possible solutions.
However, if you are looking for further information about the inquiry, including the terms of reference, visit the committee website.
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