WA Transport History

The important topics as seen by President Viv Hall at the Annual General Meeting of August 21 at the Association offices were: Industrial relations; Road Transport Forum; National Road Transport Commission; Driver fatigue management; High Court decision.

Mr D J Ford spoke of the changing membership structure of the Association, saying that there was a decline in freight membership while school bus members had increased in recent years. He asked that staff resources be addressed concerning time allocation between the two divisions.

At the Annual General Meeting on August 21, President Viv Hall mentioned the following important topics: Industrial relations; Trucksafe promotion; Mercedes Benz Bus/Coach Driver awards; School bus review; Road Transport Forum; NRTC.

Mr Viv Hall, in chairing the WA Branch of the Australian Road Transport Industrial Organisation meeting on October 29, stated the poor service levels being experienced at Patrick Stevedores by members, a situation the Association was attempting to remedy. He noted that the TWU also involved itself in the issue.

Two public meetings were held, in Denmark and Albany — as they were elsewhere in the State —to discuss the major implication of proposals and recommendations raised in the recently released review of school bus transport in WA. The committee highlighted five major areas of concern — safety, choice, cost, equality of educational opportunity in rural WA and viability of education in rural areas. It came after a reform package was aired by the Government, which in part, recommended charging fares to students attending schools of their choice more than 4.5km from home. There were claims that the review was “discriminatory, unfair and devious in its timing”.

The National Director of the Australian Road Transport Industrial Organisation, Mark Carter, addressed a packed meeting of WARTA’s Freight Division on January 20, explaining the main features of the new Transport Workers’ Award 1998.

Association representatives Viv Hall, Ian Thomson and Alan Layton successfully met with Minister for Transport Murray Criddle on January 28 to gain his support on two key issues: Not support the increase in vehicle registration charges being proposed by the National Road Transport Commission and the Hampton Rd,

By Russell McKinnon

Fremantle issue. Fremantle City Council was contemplating trafficcalming the road, making it inaccessible to trucks. He had advised the council that it should not progress with the traffic calming until the Eastern Bypass was available to the transport industry. Viv Hall, Dick Sudlow and Alan Layton also met Fremantle Mayor Richard Utting on February 23. WARTA representatives told the Mayor that Stock Road was not the answer and that the industry needed the bypass before the traffic calming occurred. The trio then met with Minister Criddle again on March 25 and he gave the assurance that that the bypass would be built, but “it was a matter of when”. The April Road Runner stated that the Association would go to the media to try and “flush out” supporters of the bypass who had remained “relatively silent” on the issue. Alan Layton said the issue was “too important to be decided by “sensitive, new-age cowpersons”.

The “Road Runner” was published in February for what could have been the first time (Ed: Copies are kept by the Battye Library for February 1999 until April 2000). The title was “Road Runner Incorporating Owner Drivers News” — a monthly newsletter of the WA Road Transport Association, Owner Drivers’ Association and School Bus Division.

From the February Road Runner: “Association President Viv Hall and Executive Director Alan Layton have met with John Baguley to discuss the problems members are experiencing at his Fremantle container park. Members are experiencing delays up to 90 minutes and trucks are having to queue dangerously on Tydeman Rd. John Baguley took a most constructive approach at the meeting and is resolved to work with the Association to solve the problem.”

Tina Murtha started with the Association on February 1 with duties to provide membership and administrative support with an initial task of getting the database up to scratch.

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