Transport tsunami heading this way with force
NRMA director Graham Blight believes a “transport tsunami” will hit our roads after it was announced Patrick Port Logistics would cease operating rail services between Dubbo and Port Botany on June 30.
Patrick will cease all services to and from its port in a move that is expected to force an extra 45,000 trucks onto NSW roads, both in the bush and in Sydney.
The company cited “rail’s poor share of freight movements” as the reason behind the decision.
But Mr Blight sent a warning that the State’s roads can’t handle the current volume of traffic and added he believes the run from Dubbo to Sydney through the Blue Mountains is one of NSW’s most dangerous stretches of highway.
“This will work out at close enough to 1000 extra trucks on the roads every week,” Mr Blight said.
“Freight trucks these days need freeways and highways but we have a situation where more trucks are going to be on winding stretches near Wellington, Bathurst and into the mountains.
“We have a transport tsunami coming and it will hit roads that are already not capable of safely handling the volume of traffic.
“The M7 Motorway in Sydney is heavily utilised and if you drive on it or the M4 at the wrong time you face massive queues.”
One thing the decision could do, however, is put the issue of a
freeway through the Blue Mountains back on the Government’s agenda.
However Mr Blight believes the current Labor Government will continue to ignore the significance of such a development.
“It’s unfortunate but this Government is totally incapable of doing it,” he said.
“We raise it in every budget submission but the Government wants us to continue using the path that Lawson and Blaxland used all those years ago. It’s appalling.”
Source: http://www.dailyliberal.com.au/news/local/news/general/transport-tsunami-heading-this-way-with-force/1813063.aspx
