National Disgrace

• General News
• 2nd March 2012

Veteran truckie Ronny Dingo told our Wheel reporter the 10 klms north of New Norcia to Walebing and from Bindi-Bindi to Wubin is now officially a death trap.

“When are the state and federal governments going to finally wake up to the concerns of truck drivers about this appalling excuse for a national highway.” The irate driver demanded.

“The road surface and the dangerous corners make a truckie’s life a nightmare, especially when unescorted wide loads appear out of nowhere on some of these blind corners.

“Wide loads of up to 8.5 metres(escorted) on 5.5 metre wide roads makes absolutely no sense to me, but then I’m not a bloody politician am I.

The federal transport minister Anthony Albanese needs to get his fat arse over here and get in a truck and check out how frightening it is.

“I’d take him in my truck but I don’t want to have to clean up the mess after he caks his daks, said the outspoken trucker.

“The Highway is an absolute shocker.

“It becomes a slanging match between escorts and drivers when drivers are asked to find a spot, when there is no spot to find.

“The notorious Bindi bends are sometimes shutdown from both ends to allow the movement of some wide loads of 8 metres or more.

“What other states in Australia shut down highways for the movement of oversize loads. The maintenance of this section of road by Main Roads WA is almost non - existent and what is done is only a very cheap bandaid.

“The condition of these sections of road is a disgrace both to the state and federal government.

“It’s about time the transport companies who use this road to service the mining industry and the mining industry itself should start lobbying the govt to get it up to scratch.

“I personally think it’s a matter of duty of care under the OH&S act because the highway is my workplace, and under the Act the govt is obliged to look after my and others welfare.

“But quite frankly I don’t reckon the likes of Albanese and local transport minister Troy Buswell give a fat rats arse about us truckies.” said Ronny Dingo climbing back into truck cab and slamming the door so hard I was surprised it didn’t come off its hinges.