Mobile Operations Centre hits the road

After months of design and planning, Main Roads has taken delivery of its new Mobile Operations Centre.

Managed by the Heavy Vehicle Services Compliance Team, the vehicle will assist at roadblock operations across Western Australia. It will also double as a mobile support centre for Transport Inspectors, providing them with a facility to renew equipment, and it will enable additional assistance during patrols.

Fitted with a toilet, fridge and options for water, the Mobile Operations Centre provides basic services to enable the roadblock team better capability for operations in remote areas. When being used at remote locations it will allow roadblock operations to be selfsustaining and therefore to operate in what can otherwise be difficult, remote areas, for longer periods.

The air-conditioned vehicle has two inspector workstations, a printer and an interview room to allow inspectors to conduct roadside interviews. There is also WIFI and a communications booster to ensure access in isolated locations.

When it’s not on the road, the Mobile Operations Centre will be used at community events where the general public can learn all about the services Main Roads offers. You may have recently seen it at the Wagin Woolorama.

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has charged a South Australian company with a primary duty offence for allegedly remapping the engines of heavy vehicles.

The charges stem from a SA Police operation in June 2020.

The NHVR will argue that the checks conducted during the operation indicate the vehicle was not using Adblue, suggesting its emissions control system had been tampered with. Examinations were conducted on other heavy vehicles registered to the company which form the basis of additional charges.

It is alleged that the operator of the vehicles disabled the emission controls on the heavy vehicles.

NHVR Executive Director of Statutory Compliance Ray Hassall said, “Engine remapping is inconsistent with the primary duty to ensure safety under the HVNL, and we know that truck drivers, who are constantly exposed to high levels of diesel emissions, suffer higher rates of dieselrelated illnesses, including cancer, heart disease and asthma.”

The Company has been charged under section 26H (category 3) offence for breaching its primary duty to eliminate or minimise the risk of harm to the environment. The company has also been charged with four offences of tampering with emissions controls systems and four offences of operating a heavy vehicle other than in accordance with the manufacturer’s design.

The matter was first before the Berri Magistrates’ Court on 24 March 2021.

In another investigation, a Sunshine Coast transport company has been issued with an Improvement Notice by the NHVR after an investigation uncovered evidence of engine tampering.

A joint investigation between NHVR and QLD Police confirmed that the emissions control system on one of the company’s trucks had been switched off, while the control system on a second vehicle had been ‘remapped’ to allow increased emissions.

The Improvement Notice compels the operator to have the remainder of its fleet checked by inspectors authorised to examine specific engine makes and models.