New compliance era looming

Emerging technologies will transform the heavy vehicle compliance and enforcement landscape in coming years, with telematics in particular seeing a shift from roadside checks to behind-the-scenes monitoring.

The sentiments were delivered by National Transport Commission CEO Paul Retter on March 20, as he addressed delegates at the ATA's Trucking Australia 2015 conference in Hobart.

"Quite frankly, the days of roadside enforcement are numbered if you believe in the use of technologies such as electronic work diaries [EWDs] and the like," he said.

"A much more efficient and effective way of ensuring we detect systemic breaches of our laws is to have that work done behind closed doors in a back room, talking to a provider who is providing access to the data – it is not the 'men in blue' or enforcement officers standing by the roadside.

"We [NVHR CEO Sal Petroccitto and I] are doing all that we can to ensure that there is going to be a change in culture and approach to the issue of compliance and enforcement through the take-up of technology."

Mr Retter said telematics and EWDs offered far greater "regulatory efficiency and a much better approach" to compliance and enforcement, and that technology in general would help the industry on multiple levels.

"The effective use of new and emerging technology provides Australia with yet another opportunity to grow the economy, increase productivity at the company level and at the vehicle level, and increase safety," he said.

"It gives us the opportunity to change the way we look at compliance and enforcement and reduce the regulatory burden."

Mr Retter highlighted the NTC's role in advising Government on how it should adopt the new technologies taking root.

"Government's role is to facilitate the take-up of technology where possible, while appropriately managing the risks associated with that," he said.

"My question is, 'What is the appropriate response by Government as we go down this inevitable road?' It doesn't necessarily have to be a heavy-handed approach to regulation.

"My aim is to facilitate the take-up of this technology as seamlessly as possible, wherever we can."