Transport and logistics heavy weight Lindsay Fox calls on the Federal Government to improve Australia’s road networks in order to battle against the world economic crisis and produce thousands of jobs
Transport and logistics heavy weight Lindsay Fox has called on the Federal Government to improve Australia’s road networks in order to battle against the world economic crisis and produce thousands of jobs.
Speaking at a QUT Business Leaders Forum in Brisbane today, Fox says the government needs to put a $10 billion infrastructure program in place
to ensure the country can come out of the crisis in a good state.
“I have never seen anything like this [economic crisis] going on.
“We need to work on the road infrastructure of the country, in many parts of Australia we are still driving on double-lane roads.
“The east coast of Australia needs a double-lane highway,” Fox says.
Putting his voice behind the truck drivers throughout the country, Fox says it is vital for new technology similar to the ‘black box’ devices used in aeroplanes to come into effect in Australia to reduce fatal accidents.
The former owner-driver says the fact more accidents occur through fatigue than in Europe is unacceptable.
“In Australia we still use something called a logbook, a system that is 70 years old; safety was not an issue 40 years ago but with trucks now twice as big as they were then it needs to be addressed,” Fox says.
Fox says a plan for the introduction of a system similar to that used in the EU, where distances, speed and diver hours are monitored is
“in the process at the moment.”
The self-made billionaire also admits something has to be done about the different transporting laws which were fielded in each state and says national harmonisation must become a reality for the transport industry to work more effectively and strengthen the economy.
Fox also took the opportunity to put to rest any rumours that Linfox could take a scoop of troubled logistics company Asciano, telling media the debt levels of the company were not worth taking aboard.
“The fundamentals of the company [Asciano] are good, but the debt levels are not,” Fox says.