Catch-up on modal cooperation freight’s next big challenge: NTC

<p>It is time for governments to demonstrate their commitment to Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG) endorsed reforms to improve road fleet productivity, by mapping road networks for quad axle group trucks, B-triples and SMART vehicles to run on, the National Transport Commission (NTC) said.</p> <p>Further, if the industry were to address inefficient and dated modes of operation, particularly between the modes, it needed to work together under a national umbrella, NTC chairman Michael Deegan said.</p> <p>&#8220If we are to address these broad challenges cooperatively, Australia must leave the patch protection and silo mentality behind and agree on a national approach to moving freight more safely and efficiently,&#8221 he said. </p> <p>&#8220From an infrastructure point of view, AusLink is making a strong contribution to this objective.&#8221</p> <p>Pointing to empty container trucks leaving Port Botany, while queues formrf outside the gate to pick-up a load, livestock trucks left waiting at ports with their decks full of cattle &#8220because no-one told the poor truckie the ship is delayed&#8221, and 1930s electric staff technology still in use on the rail network, Mr Deegan said the industry was not sharing information to the best end.</p> <p>&#8220A collaborative multi-modal approach, such as the Hunter Valley coal chain model, offers strong potential for increased productivity,&#8221 he said.</p> <p>&#8220Ultimately, this is about Australia versus the rest of the world and working together as a team for a common objective &#8211 to score some goals against the opposition across the water in Europe, the US or Asia.</p> <p>&#8220On this basis I hope we can commit to national transport reform on all fronts.&#8221</p> <br />