NATIONAL ROAD FREIGHT INDUSTRY INQUIRY

A national inquiry into Australia's road freight transport industry has been conducted. Four major themes emerged in the course of the inquiry. Firstly, it became obvious that the amount of industry regulation and its variation between the states is a source of considerable frustration to operators of vehicles, to users of road freight transport and to vehicle manufacturers. The inquiry finds that considerable progress has been made by the states in achieving uniformity but takes the view that more co-operation and urgency need to be demonstrated by all levels of government to obtain a more consistent regulatory framework within which the industry can operate. Secondly, there are no obvious general panaceas to the industry's problems. Thirdly, in many sectors of the industry the operators believe that the requirements for truck speeds, loads, and standards are inappropriate and that enforcement is erratic. Fourthly, the inquiry believes that recovery of public costs in both road and rail is haphazard and information about it is kept obscure. On the evidence given to the inquiry the principle of total cost recovery is not disputed. Further, the inquiry believes that there is an important technical regulatory role for government, but that economic regulation can erode efficiency and prevent the industry from playing an effective role in adding to the nation's prosperity. (TRRL)