Delivery curfews, that were temporarily lifted during the pandemic to assist with increased demand in the retail sector, are now at risk of being reinstated in NSW. Transport for NSW is currently conducting a survey to understand industry experiences during the temporary relaxation of delivery curfews. NatRoad encourages all members, who would like to see the curfews permanently removed, to take this short survey and have their voice heard. We are also calling on all other State Governments to conduct similar surveys before making the decision to reinstate curfews, as we are confident that the results will show overwhelming support for their permanent removal.
Many of these curfew laws date back to the 1980s, before the new vehicle technologies that exist today were in use, that make the freight task significantly less intrusive. For example, noise reducing technologies are just one supporting factor for the permanent removal of delivery curfews.
A 24/7 delivery schedule allows heavy vehicle drivers to make deliveries outside of peak hour times when the roads are crowded. As people slowly begin to return to their CBD offices, they are avoiding public transport and relying on private vehicles, which will add even more congestion to already busy roads. Removing heavy vehicles from these roads during peak hours will benefit all road users.
While the pandemic continues, and state border closures are still in place, there is an even greater need for curfews to remain lifted, as waiting times at border crossings have resulted in delays of several hours for truck drivers, interfering with their ability to manage their fatigue. The decision by the Victorian Government to reinstate delivery curfews before they have completely open borders is setting up yet another obstacle in the way of drivers trying to meet increased delivery demand. The same should not happen in NSW.
Currently the Transport for NSW survey mentioned at the start of this article is the only survey being conducted on the impact of the temporary lifting of curfews. NatRoad would like to see all other State and Territory governments pay attention to the results of this survey. The closing date for the Transport for NSW survey is Friday, 5 February 2021. If you would like to complete the survey, click here. NatRoad will keep you updated as to the results of this survey.
