SARTA hits back at rail poll that found half of those questioned support truck bans
By Ruza Zivkusic | July 14, 2011
The South Australian Road Transport Association (SARTA) has hit back at a rail poll that has found half of those questioned support a ban on large trucks in cities.
SARTA Executive Director Steve Shearer believes the Australasian Railway Association’s (ARA) public transport poll that highlights public support for curbs on truck operations, released last week, is “nonsense”.
“It’s no surprise, nor is it in any way helpful or informative, that a majority of those polled said they’d like to see trucks banned from cities or restricted to off-peak periods,” he says.
“If however those same people were asked would you support banning or restricting trucks in cities if it meant twice to three times as many smaller trucks had to replace them and if it meant twice or three times the congestion and fuel emissions from small trucks and it meant a dramatic increase in risk of car-truck accidents, the vast majority of people would quickly realise that the consequences of the ill-considered proposal to restrict trucks from, or in, cities would be utterly counter-productive.”
“The simple fact is that the community will continue to demand that the thousands of tonnes of food and other goods that it requires daily are delivered on time and banning semi-trailers and B-doubles would ultimately see the cost of living sky-rocket as the industry meets that demand.
“What is needed is sensible and informed discussion, not the promotion of puerile and counter-productive nonsense.”
The poll of 1500 Australians found almost 70 percent want truck movements restricted to non-peak periods and 60 percent of them want large trucks banned from cities.
ARA CEO Bryan Nye says the polling confirms that Australians are tired of wasting time in traffic jams.