Clean-up campaign for truckies scores more wins

WA Senator Glenn Sterle is pleased to report that his campaign to improve conditions and clean up roadhouses and servos around Australia for truckies is kicking goals.

Earlier in the week, he received a message about the conditions of the showers and bathrooms at the Coles Express in Mt Isa, which is the only roadhouse in the area that offers these facilities for drivers.

The photos (see above and below) he received clearly show that the step down from the shower makes it very difficult for anyone who may have a disability or injury to access, and the paint is peeling from the walls and bench.

Writing on his Facebook page, Sterle said he contacted Coles earlier in the week and was pleased to receive the below message back:

“In relation to the shower, works have been approved and will be undertaken to ensure the facilities are made accessible for people with disability. General repairs to fixtures and repainting of the internal ceiling and walls have also been planned.”

Adds Sterle: “This is a great outcome and I want to sincerely thank Shirley for reaching out as well as Coles for their swift action on this.

“This has been another great month of achieving results for our essential truckies and I couldn’t do it without all of you, or the companies who are engaging very encouragingly to the roadhouse campaign. Let’s keep it going.”

Sterle also posted an updated on other facilities that truckies had brought to his attention recently.

BP Laverton North

I received numerous complaints about the condition of the showers and toilets at this site. I contacted BP and they responded to say that my communication had been passed on to their truck stop team who have raised a maintenance job to get this looked at.

Coles Express, Motto Farm, NSW

We received reports that the toilets for drivers had been locked until further notice however after contacting management, the issue had been resolved and toilets were re-opened again.

Ampol, Serpentine, Victoria

I contacted management after receiving complaints about the condition of the bathrooms. They responded to say that works had commenced at the site to remedy the issues.

Caltex Temora, NSW

You may recall last week I posted about a truck driver with medical conditions who was refused access to the toilet at this site. Caltex responded straight away to my correspondence by saying that the situation was deeply concerning and have offered to communicate with the driver involved which is great. I will leave that with them. However they did provide this statement which I want to share with you all:

“Customers are at the heart of all we do and regular feedback ensures that Ampol can deliver quality service across our retail network. Over the last several months, Senator Glenn Sterle’s advocacy for the national freight driver network has generated actionable feedback leading to greater service and outcomes for Ampol’s valued customers.”

If you know of a roadhouse or service station that is falling short on conditions for truckies, contact Sterle’s office on (08) 9455 1420, at senator.sterle@aph.gov.au or via Facebook.