Since Main Roads WA announced mandatory new road train signage for operators within the state, the move has been widely criticised by the industry.
It was back in July that Main Roads WA shared the news that all operators of combinations between 22 to 60 metres in length would need to transition to the new signs by January 1, 2025 – at their own cost.
As fleet operator and former president of the Livestock and Rural Transport Association of WA (LRTAWA), Darran Bairstow, told Big Rigs, “The LRTAWA is not in favour of these new signs and most of our members are against it as well, as is the wider industry. The cost to operators is going to be enormous.”
Bairstow recently published a survey about the new signage on his Facebook group WA Truckies and Big Rigs. Out of approximately 800 respondents, 97 per cent said they were against the new signage.
Darran has run his company Flexitrans, alongside wife Carmen, for the past 22 years. Image: Darran BairstowAlong with his role with LRTAWA, Bairstow also runs his own agricultural transport business called Flexitrans.
He was among several operators and industry representatives to take part in a steering committee meeting on Friday at the transport minister’s office. Along with relevant ministers, Main Roads WA chief operating officer Des Snook was also in attendance.
“There were representatives from some big multi-national transport companies in the room as well as us from LRTAWA. They heard from all of us, but no decision was made in that meeting,” said Bairstow.
“We voiced the industry’s view that a six month transition period to the new signage wasn’t going to be long enough. Hopefully, at the very least, we can push for the deadline to be extended out to a couple of years or for the new road train signs to be made voluntary.
“We know that some of the bigger operators have already changed over, so it would be unfair for them to knock this on the head completely, unless the government wanted to do a buy-back of all the signs already on the road.”
Bairstow says the biggest concern for operators is the huge cost to change over to the new signs. His transport business has a fleet of 39 trailers and dollies. While his initial estimates to change over to the new signs was around $18,000, he’s since found out it would actually cost a lot more than that.
“I currently use the flip signs which are all riveted onto the back of my trailers so they don’t get stolen, because that’s another issue in our industry.
“I got a quote from my body builder and it’s going to cost me about $1000 per trailer and about $900 per dolly. I would need to turn over $500,000 in my business just to cover the cost to change all the signage.
“Now I’ve already paid for signs to be on the back of my trailers, which are all 100 per cent compliant. From January 1 next year, those signs are going to be worthless.”
Like most operators in the industry, Bairstow says he’s all for improving safety out on the roads. However, he doesn’t think new road train signage is the answer.
“I think a few ministers thought this was going to be a great safety initiative. It won’t cost the government a cent, but it will cost the industry millions of dollars.
“I’ve spoken to some of the bigger fleets, including an operator that has over 4000 trailers. His cost estimation for the new signs is nearly $1 million.
“We already have so much going on in our industry and this is something they’ve chosen to focus on. They want to be seen to be doing something big for road safety, but the government has underestimated the cost of it and the lack of support they’d receive. And this is all in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis.
“Road safety needs to be followed through but this isn’t the way to do it. If someone in government tried to work out a cost analysis, this just doesn’t pass the pub test!”
Along with the cost, Bairstow says the new signs are also more difficult to read. “I was following a truck in front of me the other day, which had the new signs. I know what I’m looking at and still found it difficult to read.”
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