The penalties set out in the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) have increased by the CPI from 1 July 2020. The National Road Transport Association opposes this increase.
“The indexation of infringement and offence fines is opposed. There is a wholesale review of the HVNL underway and increasing the amount, for example, that heavy vehicle drivers must pay if they make an error in a work diary is misplaced” said Warren Clark NatRoad’s CEO.
“The rationale for indexing these offences is the deterrence factor they offer in the compliance and enforcement framework. They should not be used as a revenue raising device based on miscalculation or clerical error when these matters have very little to do with proper management of fatigue: if office workers were fined the new amount of $171.00 every time they made an error there would be an uproar in most workplaces. Yet that is what heavy vehicle drivers face every day.
It is a disgrace. The HVNL in-built indexing mechanism should be set aside during the course of the current review and the offence regime overhauled as soon as possible.”
See the full fee increases here.
Don’t hesitate to contact a NatRoad adviser for help with HVNL and road rule compliance-related issues and notices.
