Road trains in VIC was The final Nail in FV's Coffin!

[Andrei Souprounovich <s9505836@minyos.its.rmit.edu.au>]

On Tue, 31 Aug 1999, Brian Evans wrote:
> Road Trains for Victoria!
> 
> The legalisation of road trains in Victoria is a step closer today with the
> State Government considering a trial of the vehicles on the State's roads.
> 
> Victoria is the only State that does not allow road trains, which are two
> semi-trailers attached to a prime mover.

It's interesting to hear that the government are now trialling
road-trains.  The regulations were amended a little while ago. Here are
the details.

The Road Safety Act 1986 was amended on 1 May 1999, so that 2 trailer Road
Trains are no longer illegal in Victoria. 3-trailer R-T's are still
illegal.

A few years ago Bunker Freight lines ran a 3 trailer road train
from their Footscray depot to Pakenham under police escort (for a charity
fund-raising event - Convoy for Kids), but this was allowed by special
permit and the combination wasn't called a 'road train'.

On the 1st of May the Road Safety (Vehicles) Regulations 1988 were revoked
and completely rewritten regulations - the Road Safety (Vehicles)
Regulations 1999 were proclaimed. Under these new regs B-doubles and
2 trailer Road-trains are both classified as class 2 vehicles. (14.5m
buses, 4.6m high stock crates/car carriers and >19m long car carriers are
also class 2 vehicles).

Have a look at the following from the regs:

'A B-double may only be used on a highway that is in an area, or on a
route,
specified by the Corporation by notice published in the Government
Gazette.
...
A road train may only be used on a highway in an area, or on a route,
specified by the Corporation by notice published in the Government
Gazette.'

The notices for B-doubles were published ages ago (under the previous
regs), and we see them running all over the place.  Obviously VicRoads
believe RT's are OK, so after the minister and Jeff have been convinced
that it won't cause a major scandal, the appropriate notices will be
published for RT's. (you'll note that the Act and regs only permit 2
trailer RT's).

One might assume that there are 3 areas that road trains would be allowed
to run.  

-On routes that continue into Victoria from interstate road train routes,
till one hits hilly country, on roads that are essentially one lane in
each direction. For example: from regions west of a line running from
Tocumwal to Dubbo and Bogabilla/Goondiwindi (Newell Hwy) in NSW. SA
doesn't have any road train routes leading to the Victorian border.

-The other area that they might be allowed to run, is where B-triples are
currently allowed to operate. This means Geelong to Wodonga via Princes
hwy, W.ring road,Hume hwy;Deer Park(Melb) to Ballarat via Western hwy; and
Dandenong(Melb) to Latrobe Valley via Princes Hwy.

-The other area would be the docks of Melbourne.  Currently we have
B-boubles on the docks that are extra long - capable of carrying 2 40'/12m
containers fully loaded. The docks also see 3 and 4 axle rigid trucks
hauling 5 axle trailers.

I expect that the RACV will have some sort of comment to make on this
matter, as car associations (rail ones too), find it difficult, on
occasion, to live with trucks.  We need them, but I suppose they sometimes
get a bit out of hand.  They either take our business, or deliver business
to us.  They deliver products to shops and intimidate us on the road.

Hope this helps

Andrei
(Hughesdale VIC)