Truck parking a safety concern: councillors

TRUCKS are getting bigger and bigger and according to Wagga City councillors Garry Hiscock and Lindsay Vidler, so are the headaches they’re creating for the city.Although Wagga is considered a major transport hub in regional NSW – particularly given its proximity to Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide – truck drivers are forced to make their change-overs on the roadside.It’s an issue that could be solved by a truck parking area or a designated change-over facility and Cr Hiscock believes it’s becoming an urgent matter of public safety.“I’ve placed emphasis on the growing concern about heavy trucks parked about the city,” Cr Hiscock said.“Increasingly it’s a concern for residents who live near where the trucks park ... there’s an element of danger in that they restrict sight for road users, particularly close to corners.“It’s been mentioned in years gone by but it’s become a dormant issue, we need to look at fast-tracking a change-over facility and council’s got to lead the way.”Transport Workers Union ACT and southern region sub-branch secretary, Klaus Pinkas, agreed that the current change-over arrangements were unsafe, not just for residents but for the truck drivers themselves.He said the issue had been raised at a union level by truck drivers who regularly pass through and was disbelieving that a city as prominent as Wagga had not yet funded a solution.“We’d love to see a change-over in town,” Mr Pinkas said.