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AWARD-winning road transport and safety advocate Rod Hannifey has hit out
at thoughtless caravanners who are squeezing truckies out of truck stops.
The holder of an Australian Trucking Association National Professional
Driver of the Year award has now called for rest areas to be built with
dedicated sections for cars, caravans and trucks.
Mr Hannifey has accused some caravanners of setting up campsites at truck
stops, forcing weary truckies to search elsewhere for their compulsory
rest breaks.
"Whenever we manage to get a bit of dirt upgraded and facilities provided,
the caravanners then take it over," he complained to Caravanning News.
"I have seen more caravanners of late, not just stopping in truck bays,
but setting up camp in them," he said.
"Some are considerate and some are not. They arrive early and we do not
get there till later when they are asleep so we sometimes simply have
nowhere else to go and no hours left."
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Mr Hannifey's design |
Mr Hannifey, an owner driver and author, has drawn up a rest area
blueprint aimed at catering for all types of road users.
"Providing facilities that suit all in one place minimises the costs," he
said.
"More facilities can be provided instead of different facilities for cars
and trucks.
"I must say VicRoads does this better than anywhere else in Australia
where I have travelled."
He believed his design provided better shade for those who needed to stop
or sleep during the day.
Drivers would also be able to sleep better due to less noise from other
types of vehicles such as refrigerated or stock crates and from those
stopping for only a short break.
He suggests that caravan corners should be allocated to the left of the
area, with stock crates and fridge vans on the opposite side.
Front and rear parking bays would border the amenities, with trucks having
access to the section for long breaks and cars restricted to the area for
short stops.
Mr Hannifey said blue reflector marking of informal truck rest areas was
intended as an interim measure in areas where there were not enough truck
rest areas and-or where some additional sites were now used by trucks,
often for the reasons of shade or separation, particularly during the day.
"Marking these sites with blue reflectors increases their utilisation at
night and helps those drivers who do not run the same road every night
with locating these informal sites," he said.
"I would suggest that this proffered style of rest area is the best and
most cost efficient for all road users.
"I do understand the large costs involved in rest areas and believe the
design I offer is also practical and will only lead to better sleep for
truck drivers ... and this must lead to better road safety for all.
"The only other point would be that the extra area for fridge vans or stock
crates, as in the plan, could just see an extension of the rearmost
roadway where no caravan corner is needed.
"The growing and ageing population, of whom more and more are taking to
the roads of Australia, will not only require additional capacity in rest
areas, but will see more pressure put on the too few truck rest areas
available now."
