For truck drivers using port roads at Port Botany, new rules have come into play today, 13 January, in response to empty container parks in Sydney facing high demand for empty container de-hire and the subsequent long truck queues.
These truck queue issues have been going on for several months. According to NSW Ports, “On a nearly daily basis, both Simblist and Friendship roads have accommodated truck queues and at times these ranks have not only caused serious congestion but have also created potential safety issues which must be addressed.”
NSW Ports said that despite its requests for empty container parks to manage the throughput and demand for empty container de-hire truck, the length of truck queues has become excessive at times, “creating hazardous traffic management conditions” and “impacting on the safe and productive operations of other tenants in Port Botany”.
Additional temporary dedicated truck queuing areas will be introduced where it is safe to do so and new rules will continue until further notice. The new rules are as follows:
- NSW Ports has designated specific areas on port roads (click here for map) for use by truck drivers in which they can stop/queue and thereby rank while seeking to access specific ECPs.
- NSW Ports will put in place signage and line markings to clearly identify the specific truck queuing areas.
- Any truck which cannot physically queue entirely within the specific area designated for that ECP will be directed to leave the port precinct immediately.
- If a truck driver fails to follow the lawful direction to leave the port precinct immediately, enforcement action will be taken against the truck driver and/or owner of the truck/trailer.
For more information, please click here.