The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) has welcomed the announcement by the Victorian Government of the extension of available roads in Victorian regional and metropolitan areas for access by Higher Productivity Freight Vehicles (HPFV), while denouncing the populist label ‘monster trucks’ used by the mainstream media and some opponents to the announcement.
Victorian Transport Association CEO Neil Chambers said: “The VTA has worked hard behind the scenes for over four years to try to convince successive Victorian governments to understand and accept the productivity and safety benefits achievable by allowing HPFV greater access on Victoria’s major freight routes.”
“… these sensible policy changes are allowing road freight productivity to be unlocked without the need for expensive infrastructure upgrades.”
“The government understands that the road transport industry is a significant enabler of the Victorian economy. If we are to efficiently address rising freight demand, it is good public and economic policy to allow these safe and productive heavy vehicle combinations onto our road network, from freight node to freight node.” Mr Chambers said.
“Not only will this decision lower distribution costs, it will have a positive economic and job creation effect in the trailer and component manufacturing sector, which is strong in Victoria.”
The Victorian Government will allow ‘cubic freight’ vehicles (with a gross combination mass (GCM) not exceeding 68.5 tonnes) access on identified divided highways in regional areas up to 36.5 metres in length, while the maximum vehicle length will be 30 metres on certain parts of the B-double network in metropolitan Melbourne. These available routes will be formally known as the Cubic Freight Network in Victoria.
In addition, transport operators will have the opportunity to apply to VicRoads for consideration of mass limits exceeding 68.5 tonnes but less than 77.5 tonnes, subject to a suitable route assessment. In this case, restricted access would be granted under the Endorsed HPFV Network in Victoria (79.5 tonnes for A-doubles in the north-west of Victoria).
Access conditions for these HPFV are that they must meet the Performance Based Standards (PBS) regime, provide route and speed compliance via GPS tracking under the Intelligent Access Program (IAP), and will be speed restricted to 90 km/h.
VicRoads and transport operators will work collaboratively on ‘last mile’ permit access on local roads with local governments. In this regard, the PBS Route Assessment Tool (RAT) developed in Victoria by the ARRB Group, the NTC, and VicRoads, with considerable input and endorsement from the VTA and the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV), will be of invaluable assistance. Also, PBS final approval from the new National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) will be needed prior to the application for a permit.
“The VTA accepts these access conditions as fair. We understand the need for the Government to balance productivity gains with the need for community and regulatory assurance that these vehicles will be safe and compliant on the road network, including in the case of metropolitan access through the tunnels on CityLink and EastLink.”
“In meeting the Performance Based Standards (PBS), these vehicles will be among the safest on our roads, with an anti-lock braking system (ABS) on all axles, roll stability control, low-speed turning capability, superior on-road tracking behaviour, as well as front, side and rear under-run protection.”
“The VTA also accepts the speed rating of these vehicles to 90 km/h. The industry will work with VicRoads to assess the safety outcomes of this speed rating over the next 12 months. This aligns with current trials of reduced heavy vehicle speed by numerous major transport operator fleets, and modelling work conducted by VicRoads to understand the impact of speed and lane variation between heavy and light vehicles on certain parts of the Victorian road network” Mr. Chambers observed.
The government has also cited research that between now and 2030, HPFV operating under the PBS Scheme are expected to save the community 4.5 billion vehicle kilometres, 94 fatal crashes and 114 fatalities nationally. These figures have been derived by Austroads from crash data complied by National Transport Insurance (NTI) since 2005, which has found that as the size of a combination vehicle increases, the rate of major crashes reduces significantly.
“Despite all of these safety and productivity facts, as well as the safety record of many HPFV currently operating on restricted access in the State, including the B-triple operations carrying automotive components between the Ford Motor Company’s Geelong and Broadmeadows plants for more than 15 years, and 30 metre B-doubles operating on restricted access around the Port of Melbourne, the mainstream media, and no doubt some opponents of these announcements, continue to label them “monster trucks”.” Mr Chambers noted.
“We challenge these detractors to address the facts, instead of populist scare-mongering that dismisses clear safety and productivity gains in place of comments designed to feed negative community perceptions about heavy vehicles.
“The government’s announcement also addresses the age-old retort that we should put all future freight growth onto rail.
“As a multi-modal industry association, the VTA supports the greater use of rail to meet the freight challenges of the future, and we are working with the authorities and industry stakeholders to address and encourage rail freight growth.”
“However, the reality in Victoria is that only between 10 to 15 percent of the freight task is contestable between road and rail. As a result, heavy vehicle productivity must be improved if we are to manage the road component of the freight task growth,” Mr Chambers said.
