$2.2b road safety budget boost
Package includes $274m for heavy vehicle safety and rest areasA $2.2 billion Federal Budget boost to road safety funding has been applauded by the Australian Trucking Association.
The pre-election commitment from the Morrison Government includes the creation of an Office of Road Safety, which will work with state and local governments on key road safety priorities.
The ATA had lobbied for the creation of an independent national agency to provide policy advice on road safety.
The $2.2 billion includes $274 million for heavy vehicle safety and rest areas, an extra $1.1 billion under the Roads to Recovery program and a further $12 million for road safety innovation.
The announcement follows discussions the ATA has held with Deputy Prime Minister McCormack and a meeting with Treasurer Frydenberg, which brought trucking industry leaders together to share their views and discuss key industry issues.
ATA chairman Geoff Crouch says the announcement will help save lives and enable the delivery of important safety initiatives.
"The announcement from Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg outlines a commitment to delivering practical solutions that will improve safety outcomes on our roads," Crouch says.
"We're also pleased to see a commitment to improving heavy vehicle rest areas and research initiatives, issues the ATA has passionately advocated for and highlighted in the submission," he says
Crouch says the ATA made 19 recommendations to the National Road Safety Strategy inquiry and it was encouraging to see the Government consider some of these in developing the budget.
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