Dear All

A number of comments have been submitted to the mailing list overnight responding to my post about Longer Semitrailers.  I have compiled them all into this one message to reduce traffic on the mailing list.

David Cebon

Marcus Coleman [log in to unmask]:

Hello David,

In Australia we tend to have 1 or 2 local councils in each state which have active anti-truck campaigners. But they rarely maintain the rage over an extended period of time. Given that we have around 500+ local councils in Australia I’d say only around 1% are persistently anti-truck, and this often comes down to individual councillors and officers rather than a broad community consensus.

We have bias at the public policy level from State Transport Departments who are charged with running public transport, buses, trams and trains. These are vast bureaucracies but they sit alongside in a perpetually changing structure with an equally vast roads department. In my experience, staff within Transport departments often have a rail bias and road department people have a road freight bias. It is natural given the context. Where trucks and trains compete is it reasonable to have a debate, but there is so much freight that it uncontested, unfortunately, blockers from the transport department are happy to risk reducing productivity in the broader transport sector to try in order to favour rail. However, I’ll refrain from going down that rabbit hole for now.

In terms of local councils - Maribyrnong in Melbourne’s inner city is perhaps the best example. They are stereo-typical left leaning green voters who purchased relatively cheap inner city land next the Port of Melbourne. The land is no longer cheap and they have a vested interest in converting an industrial precinct into an inner city suburb with higher land values. A steady flow of trucks form the Port is counter to this objective. We could vasty reduce congestion and increase productivity at the Port of Melbourne by running 24 hour operations and transporting containers at night. However, because of the new Local Green residents, they’ve imposed a curfew on truck so that it is not possible to operate in off-peak hours.

Nevertheless, with time it is possible to reason with these people.

Ultimately, some opposition is a good thing. We need an opposing voice to keep us vigilant and ensure that we don’t get lazy and continually question our assumptions.

In the end the truth will out.

Best Regards,

Marcus.

Ross McArthur [log in to unmask]:

Forget the science lesson, it won't change a pressure group's thinking.

My experience with these actually, "pro increased truck numbers and eroded  amenity" pressure groups, is they don't understand the effects of their own platform. E.g. No change equals sticking to small trucks, more trucks, and more trips, higher emissions/noise, lower air quality and higher costs of things like food, even in village shops, and they need to be called out on it somehow.

If they pine for rail, they should also be asked how they would feel about bulldozering through some new lines and flattening large areas for busy model interchanges designed for numerous vehicle trips.

I understand, in Australia, we had an anti truck council restrict access, so to make a point, a truck driver union stopped delivering in the area. The council then changed its approach.

The other, often neglected, thing is that even if larger vehicles are allowed, drivers avoid roads they can't safely or easily use like the plague. The though of reversing back along a narrow road freaks them out.

Robert Smedley [log in to unmask] :

Hi David,

I know very well the position you have been put in. I have given many presentations to councils and industry throughout Australia about the basics of PBS with the sole purpose of opening up more and more access.

The position of one council was, we don’t want to have PBS on out roads, because I don’t want big trucks going down the cul-de-sac where my house is because he won’t be able to turn around anyway.

People often forget that trucks aren’t on the road for fun, they have a purpose and are a means to an end, therefore, a truck driver will take the “easiest” route to get to his end goal, and this often won’t be the shortest route. No truck driver wants to have the stress and hassle of driving down backroads if he can do the same journey on the highway. And if the truck is going down the cul-de-sac past his house, he is probably delivery a pool or spa or something specifically to his neighbour.

The best way to educate road managers (gate keepers) and any other interested party is through industry forums, face to face, so that you can show them how PBS (or whatever acronym) works.

Regards

Peter Lynch [log in to unmask]:

In my experience ( as a lorry driver) I always stick to major roads, even if it is slightly longer. Also the anti lorry brigade are usually the most prolific buyers of household goods, all of which need to be moved ( usually several times) on a lorry.  

  Regards 

Peter Lynch