When the idea was first floated to mandate new pictorial length signage on road trains in Western Australia, John Mitchell says his immediate first thought was, “How bloody stupid!”
Mitchell is a third generation transport operator and the CEO of Mitchell’s Livestock Transport, operating a fleet of 32 trucks, and 140 trailers and dollies from his Waroona base, in WA’s south-west.
He’s slammed the decision by Main Roads WA that will require operators to transition to new road train signage for heavy vehicle combinations ranging from 22 to 60 metres in length.
When the news came on July 1, operators were told they’ll have just six months to transition to the new signs – at their own expense.
It’s a move that has been heavily criticised by transport operators and industry groups across WA.
When Mitchell was asked to weigh in on the issue, he didn’t hold back, labelling the decision ignorant and misguided; and “part of a bigger systemic problem”.
“Since this idea actually materialised, there’s been quite a bit of industry push-back. Main Roads WA has decided not to listen to the collective industry in Western Australia,” he said.
“I’ve lived this industry for the past 30 years and there are a lot of people who won’t stick around for much longer. As an industry, we could all walk in united on the same issue, and we’d just get chased out.
“This is part of a systematic problem within the Department of Transport and Main Roads WA. There are too many poor decisions being made – they do it all the time and it’s second nature to them.
“People are affected every day by their decisions that are collectively much bigger than road train signs!”
The new pictorial signs are being touted as being all about road safety, giving other road users a better idea of the length of the vehicle in front of them before attempting to overtake.
But Mitchell isn’t buying it. “How many prangs are being caused by people overtaking heavy vehicles?” he asked. “If there is public support for these new signs, then why isn’t Main Roads showing us? This is how misguided they are towards this industry.”
He continued, “They talk about how these sorts of things will help with road safety, but what about the emotional and mental toll it’s putting on the industry?
“Instead, why don’t they ever look at improving the mental health of the people driving, owning and operating these trucks? What about the stress it causes drivers if an inspector shows up and they realise they’ve used the wrong sign on the wrong day?
“If you have people in power who don’t care what you or what the industry thinks, that destroys people’s emotional and mental wellbeing, when they’re working in an industry that’s already very tough to work in.”
With all of the industry push-back, Mitchell is hopeful that Main Roads WA will back-track on their decision – only time will tell.
“I can’t see this actually happening. Somewhere, someone needs to make a decision, and that decision doesn’t involve making transport operators spend money on new signs. It’s a big decision by Main Roads WA and it could blow up in their face.”
Last month, Western Roads Federation (WRF) CEO Cam Dumesny met with Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti seeking a more workable solution for the industry.
The issue regarding the new signs is now slated to go to an industry working group.
“There is a national problem with regards to road safety,” said Dumesny. “The government thought the new road train signage was a good safety measure but from an industry point of view, there are a lot of problems with the move, including the high cost for operators.
“Clearly the government wants to improve safety around heavy vehicles. While we accept that, the proposal here has a lot of practical issues. We’ll be canvassing operators from the industry for this working group so we can work out a more practical solution.”