Labor’s pre-election announcement allows truckies to rest easy
The Labor party has made a pre-election pledge to invest $80 million into new rest areas for truck drivers across the country.
The truck pit stop initiative forms a major part of Labor’s freight industry policies ahead of the upcoming Federal election.
Announced by senator Glenn Sterle, shadow minister for infrastructure Catherine King and Labor candidate Zaneta Mascarenhas, the new truck stop project would commit funding to building new and upgraded rest areas for truckies.
“Truck drivers travel day and night to keep Australia moving,” Sterle says.
“But despite their importance to our economy and our way of life, drivers are too often forced to put up with a serious lack of suitable rest areas.”
The $80 million pledge is the first time Sterle admits to seeing a federal commitment going “directly towards improving the safety and productivity of our truckies”.
But it’s no blanket funding boost – Steele says consultation and tailoring specific projects to truckies’ needs is pivotal to the initiative’s success.
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Labor’s new truck stop campaign will help prevent driver fatigue
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“Most importantly, specific projects will be selected in close consultation with the men and women who have their hands on the steering wheel day in and day out,” Steele says.
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“It is imperative that our truck drivers have quality rest. The only way they can do that is if they have access to and can rely on fit for purpose rest areas where they need them.”
The Labor party says the truck stop issue is one that has been made loud and clear by the transport industry.
Having also reared its head in the recent Senate inquiry into the road transport industry, Labor says it’s now time to act on the issue and pledge money towards placing truckies at the top of their list.