– By Caroline Falls –
The Intelligent Access Program, or IAP, has been a catalyst for providing better access for heavy vehicles to and from the agricultural rich Riverina-based Temora Shire in NSW.
“This is because the IAP provided council as a road and bridge asset owner with a much greater level of assurance that heavy vehicles owned by transport operators were operating in accordance with approved access conditions,” said Neil Ogilvie, director of engineering at Temora Shire Council.
Temora council has granted access to roads and allowed heavier vehicles on otherwise restricted roads as part of the program. This includes allowing 26-metre B-doubles to operate on its road network, as well as certain types of heavier triple and road-train combinations. It gives operators the opportunity to make productivity gains. And because it can also lead to cuts in heavy vehicle movements on local roads, it reduces risks to safety for the community on those roads.
The IAP, introduced in 2009 and administered by Transport Certification Australia, enables heavy vehicle operators to get improved access to the roads if they agree to electronic monitoring of their vehicles, including route, time and speed.
It’s a voluntary program that thousands of truck operators have signed up for to get a range of benefits, namely access to roads otherwise denied to particular vehicles because of their configuration, mass or consignment. The telematics used in the program are so-called type approved by the TCA. Access to the program is through TCA certified providers.
Ogilvie said improved access was critically important to a freight dependent community such as Temora shire, which is the fourth largest grain producing area in NSW. Three grain traders, including GrainCorp are located there. Temora is a primary site on the rail network, meaning it is ideal for storing and distributing grain for export markets. Temora is also home to the largest honey packing facility in the southern hemisphere.
Ogilivie outlined the benefits of the IAP in a case study published on the TCA website, saying, “Payloads and heavy vehicle productivity have grown substantially, freight costs have fallen in a competitive market environment, there has been a significant decline in emissions on a per tonne kilometre basis and a reduction in overall truck traffic on a year-round basis, which reduces exposure to heavy vehicle safety risks.
“These triple-bottom line benefits would not have been possible without the introduction of the IAP.”
Ogilvie said the Temora council supports the extension of access the shire’s 1,292 kilometres of roads for higher productivity vehicle combinations wherever justified by road conditions.
