The inspectors noted four major defects involving brakes and an additional 35 minor defects
Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) Joint Heavy Vehicle Taskforce and NSW Police officers say they have detected four major defects in the Moits fleet.
In the year’s first such investigation, heavy vehicle inspectors noted four major defects involving brakes and an additional 35 minor defects involving oil and fuel leaks, loose tow attachments and unreadable number plates.
“Today’s operation involved safety and compliance inspections of 55 trucks and trailers in the Moits fleet, the company involved in an incident on the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Friday afternoon,” RMS GM compliance operations Paul Endycott says.
Last Friday, a driver of the Western Sydney transport operator was hauling 20 tonnes of landfill when it is believed that the rear door of trailer became unlatched, leaving a trail of dirt along one of the lanes of Sydney’s Harbour Bridge.
The debris spread as far as 3km and took three hours to clean, causing major traffic disruptions in the city.
“The trailer was found to have worn and faulty tailgate locks and the company was issued a defect notice,” Endycott says about Friday’s incident.
Traffic and Highway Patrol Command acting assistant commissioner Stuart Smith says the taskforce has improved road safety by encouraging compliance and targeting rouge operators.
“Where evidence points to systemic failures or calculated risks by operators, those companies can expect to be subjected to enforcement action from the Joint Traffic Taskforce,” Smith says.