Australia’s truck drivers will now be able to share their views on the national truck law review, thanks to a new campaign launched today by the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) and national road transport newspaper Big Rigs.
The Australian Trucking Association and its member associations collectively represent the 50,000 business and 200,000 people in the Australian trucking industry. Together, we are committed to safety, professionalism and viability.
The ‘Heavy Vehicle Law – Have Your Say’ campaign allows Australia’s hardworking truck drivers to share their views through a dedicated textline, email or the ATA and Big Rigs Facebook channels.
“The campaign is about debunking the myth that the Heavy Vehicle ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Law review is being run by ‘suits’ and not connected to the industry,” ATA CEO Ben Maguire said.
“Gathering feedback from truck drivers during the review process is crucial as they are the ones dealing with these laws on a day-to-day basis, but we keep hearing that they aren’t being given the right opportunities to share their thoughts.
Mr Maguire said that together with Big Rigs, the ATA is providing a platform to ensure Australia’s hardworking truck drivers are heard loud and clear, and that they are accurately and fairly represented in the national truck law review.
“Every single piece of feedback we receive will be sent to the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Transport Commission (NTC) for the inclusion in the review. That is our promise,” he said.
Big Rigs Editor James Graham said it was clear from talking to drivers, his contributors around Australia and the many comments on the paper’s popular Facebook page that something had to be done to ensure more drivers and operators were heard in the review process.
“A lot of people were telling me that they didn’t even know there was a review going on,” Mr Graham said.
“Those that did know about it either didn’t have the time to contribute, found the issues papers too long, or felt that what they had to say wouldn’t count.
“This campaign solves all those issues in one hit and has the full support of the NTC, which is fantastic.
“Our readers have already shown us on Facebook that they have some great ideas on how to improve the heavy vehicle laws,” he said.
The ATA has expressed great appreciation for the NTC’s flexibility and willingness to accept the important feedback although submissions have already closed on several review issues papers.
“From the very beginning of the review, we (the NTC) have invited – in fact, encouraged – feedback from all stakeholders, and this is a great opportunity to complement our approach by tapping into the ATA’s and Big Rigs’ extensive network and reach,” said NTC Executive Leader, Productivity, Paul Davies.
“We want to hear from all parts of the sector, including via this campaign which will feed directly into the review, and help ensure that the next iteration of the Heavy Vehicle ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Law is fit-for-purpose,” Mr Davies said.
Share your views on the national truck laws today
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