History
The History of the West Australian Road Transport Industry
By Russell McKinnon
1963
T
he Long Distance Road Transport Association of Australia has 903,619 commercial vehicles on the road. The industry employs 596,750 workers with a total tonnage of goods hauled at 35 million tons. All commercial vehicles hauled 2,763, 804 tons inter-State using 700 million gallons of petrol and diesel fuel. There are eight commercial vehicles per 100 people in Australia, compared to three in 1931. The population expanded four million during those 30 years. For the year ended December 31, 1963, 5664 laden vehicles used the pick-a-back service on the Trans-Australian Railway between Port Pirie and Kalgoorlie. Some road accident figures from 1963: Nine out of 10 fatal accidents are due to human error. Six out of 10 road fatalities are “road suicides” in which the victim is irresponsible. More than half the fatalities occur on straight roads. More than 56 percent of road fatalities occur in rural districts. There is a road fatality in Australia every 3¾ hours. In 1962, there were 94 people killed on WA rural roads and 83 in Perth. The Daily News reports that in 1963, school bus services cost the Education Department more than £1 million a year. Each school day, 21,250 Western Australian children are ferried to and from their schools
in 639 vehicles. The buses cover 42,250 miles. The previous year it worked out to £49 12s a child or .28 of a penny per mile.
1964
Country-wide speed limits might soon come into force with up to 4 tons gross weight vehicles allowed to travel at 60mph, 4-7 tons at 50mph and over 7 tons 40mph. Omnibuses would be allowed to travel at 50mph. It was estimated that a 5-ton truck operating in the metropolitan area delivering goods must earn six and a half pence a minute. The police escort charge for over-length, over-width vehicle is 15 shillings per hour plus sixpence per mile for all hours and miles involved. Australia achieved its lowest road accident fatality rate in 1963 when the estimated number per 10,000 vehicles fell to 7.7. In 1962, the fatality rate was 8.0 and in 1947 it was 14.0. Road deaths rose in 1963, however, 40 more than 1962 at 2575. A high of 68,544 injuries were reported. The Australian population increased two percent and fuel consumption increased by nearly seven percent. WARTA came to the rescue when railway drivers and firemen went on strike. WARTA Secretary W R Pellew said
Association members could provide up to 1000 trucks to help during the stoppage, subject to Transport Department approval. Metro Tours sold out to Melbourne’s Ansett Group, which at first operated in WA as Metro Pioneer and then as Ansett Pioneer. Mr E J Hindle was appointed as the WA representative on the Executive of the Australian Road Transport Federation. A call has gone out from the ARTF for all Associations to enroll owner-drivers, as it is feared the TWU is going to attempt to recruit them as members. The Association has recommended that it support the adoption of a short ton based on 2000 pounds weight with cental of 100 pounds and the one-pound weight. Mr Jack Secombe severed his links with WARTA on March 19 after 20 years as Secretary and the last two years on a parttime basis in the office. He was replaced by junior clerk Don Smith to attend to bookkeeping and general office duties in what is now becoming a very busy office. At the March 19 Quarterly Meeting, he received an engraved wallet with £50 inside before he left on his long service leave. Sadly for Jack, he was involved in a traffic accident late in September, dislocating his neck. He died on October 24, 1978. The Geraldton branch was opened on March 23, 1964. There were 24 attendees. The inaugural executive was elected: Chairman: Mr I Francis. Committee: Messrs J Neill, I Ingham, K Marsh, G Shanks, N Branstater, E Giles. Secretary: Mr W Driscoll. A Carnarvon branch followed on April 24 and Mr H Green was elected Chairman/ Secretary. Messrs Jolly, Buchanan and Thomas formed the committee. The President and Secretary who made the long journey north, represented the Association at the meeting. A new 42-ton weighbridge has been installed in Geraldton following a request from the Association. WATM • June 2020
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