VTA’s Anderson sees bottlenecks hampering freight task
Supplies of essential good are in ample supply but consumers must exercise patience as supply chains work overtime to get stock moving, Victorian Transport Association (VTA) CEO Peter Anderson says.
Victoria’s transport industry body notes goods are in warehouses and on ships bound for Australia, with access being the biggest impediment to keeping pace with unprecedented demand.
Anderson says about 80 per cent of the freight task is located within 100km of its final destination, which underscores the need to free up seamless access to delivery points.
“Coronavirus has prompted consumers to buy much more than they need and what we are seeing now are rapid adjustments in ordering and in the supply chain to sustain this record demand.
“The transport industry is working overtime to deliver goods to shops and supermarkets, underscoring the immense value of heavy vehicle drivers – and their trucks – to the communities they serve.
“Panic buying that has seen shopper’s empty shelves of goods like toilet paper, rice, pasta, flour and other pantry staples is totally unnecessary because grocery chains anticipate future demand and keep warehouses stocked accordingly.”
Anderson joins growing calls for swift movement on curfew and clearway impediments.
“We commend the Victorian Government to for pressuring councils to ease curfews on arterial roads, especially at night which is the optimum delivery time for heavy vehicles,” he says.
“What we also want to see are permanent 24/7 clearways so that traffic flows freely and trucks have clearer access to where they need to go.
“The Government’s own evidence confirms reducing road blockages eases congestion, which is what the transport industry needs to service its customers efficiently and sustainably.”
More on the VTA-backed congestion-easing measures, here
Anderson lauds the efforts of transport and supermarket workers to re-stock shelves and says patience and a return to normalcy from consumers would ultimately aid supply chains to satisfy unprecedented demand.
“While consumers are rightly concerned about Covid-19, they do not need to be worried about supermarkets running out of goods because all the evidence points to there being ample stock in the supply chain.
“What we don’t want to see are shoppers thinking they have to buy a month’s worth of groceries every time they go to the store.
“If shoppers would resist the temptation to buy household essentials they might see on the shelves but don’t have a pressing need for, it would give others with a genuine need a chance.”