ATA calls for national rego

In an effort to streamline the heavy vehicle registration system and cut red tape, the Australian Trucking Association has called upon the Federal Government to implement a national system, a provision for which has already been included in the Heavy Vehicle National Law.

The ATA's CEO, Chris Melham (pictured), recently met with Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development to promote the measure, which he says would deliver benefits on several fronts.

"The ATA believes operators should be able to register all their heavy vehicles through a single web portal, or at a service centre," Mr Melham said.

"This system would reduce compliance costs for operators, and allow the NHVR and its service providers to undertake roadside enforcement on a more targeted, risk-managed basis.

"It would be essential that the registration portal included all state concessions available to the operator. It would be ridiculous for operators to have to claim back their concessions through a separate process."

Mr Melham also took the opportunity to reiterate the ATA's call for a freeze of heavy vehicle road user charges for the next financial year.

"If governments take up the NTC's draft heavy vehicle charges determination, the heavy vehicle industry will be overcharged by $117 million in 2015-16," he said.

"Until governments resolve this existing overcharging problem satisfactorily, the ATA cannot see any reason for the industry to have to pay more money for a national registration system."