NSW Police details examples of mass breaches and court orders
Not long after a multi-border compliance effort in Western Australia revealed high rates of compliance, NSW Police has reported its own heavy vehicle blitz with less encouraging results, including five mass breaches and six court orders.
“Phase 1” of Operation Kamyon in 2019, led by NSW Police and the Roads and Maritime Service (RMS), targeted non-compliance of heavy vehicles and companies within Sydney’s south west metro region.
Active from February 26 to 28, 44 police and 18 RMS inspectors at Camellia, Wetherill Park and Denham Court conducted the operation.
NSW Police reports the following:
- 288 vehicles stopped/breath tests conducted
- 22 oral fluid tests, resulting in one positive result to cocaine (local heavy vehicle driver)
- 182 heavy vehicles (293 units) inspected by RMS.
- 95 defect notices issued by RMS personnel for a range of matters including ancilliary equipment (81), body/chassis (64), oil and fuel leaks (23), brakes (11), steering (10) and a range of other minor defects.
- 31 engine control module downloads were conducted with two found to be non-compliant (101.8km/h, one unable to connect)
- 95 infringements issued by police for a range of matters including load restraint breaches, vehicle standards breaches and work diary compliance
- Six court attendance notices issued
- Five mass breaches being actioned by RMS personnel.
Police notes that one male was arrested for driving whilst disqualified, disclosing that he had stated a false name (of a friend) and was only unlicenced. He was also charged for having a substantial insecure load.
A light truck issued with a major defect also took an hour to remove from the road, with enquiries revealing registration had been renewed only eight days previously. RMS is following up with the issuer of the pink-slip.
Read about last year’s iteration of Operation Kamyon, here
Separate to that operation, NSW Police chief inspector and stakeholder relations manager Phillip Brooks reports an extreme case of a truck driver penalised for travelling more than 45km/h over the speed limit “with faulty brakes”.
On March 2, a B-double carrying general freight and weighing 60.7 tonnes was detected at 150km/h on the Hume Highway at Mittagong.
After being escorted to the RMS station at Marulan, the prime mover was found to have a minor defect on its drive axle brakes, the A-trailer had a major defect with brakes on two axles inoperative, and a tyre was sliced on the B-trailer.
The driver was suspended for six months, lost six demerit points and was fined $3,691. Work diary offences were also identified.
“I couldn’t believe it myself when I got the phone call this morning,” Brooks notes on social media.
He says police will be “looking at the fleets involved”.