National Transport Commission reports on telematics

The National Transport Commission says it is set to work with the transport industry to design a best-practice model for regulatory telematics in heavy vehicles to improve safety, productivity and compliance.

The NTC maintains that telematics in heavy vehicles can provide a range of important information to operators, drivers and regulators, but more operators could gain these benefits.

According to National Transport Commission Chief Executive, Paul Retter, the NTC has been gathering data on who is using telematics and for what purposes, as part of a review of telematics that was released recently.

The key recommendation of the review, endorsed at the May Transport and Infrastructure Council meeting, is the development of a best-practice model for how telematics can be used for compliance and enforcement.

“We are co-designing a best-practice model along with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, road transport agencies, the road transport industry, Transport Certification Australia and technology providers,” Mr Retter said.

“There are many advantages to this technology. Fleet operators can do remote monitoring, track engine hours, fuel usage, and live analytics. Drivers can use telematics for better route guidance and electronic work diaries. Regulators can use telematics to improve the efficiency of compliance and enforcement,” he said.

Feedback from industry indicated that a lack of consistent policy on how telematics data would be used by regulators had impacted on the uptake of telematics technology.

“By working towards a flexible, technology- and application-neutral model we can provide that certainty to increase the uptake of this promising technology,” Mr Retter said.

The NTC’s Review of Telematics Report which includes the findings of the review and recommendations is available on the NTC website.