A national approach for the Performance Based Standards (PBS) scheme will meet the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) objective to deliver a more productive, safer and sustainable road freight industry, concludes a draft Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) prepared by the National Transport Commission (NTC).

Released for public consultation today, the RIS examines several options for improving participation in the PBS scheme and providing certainty of access for higher productivity vehicles (SMART trucks) on Australian road networks.

These options are:

• Option 1: remaining with the current system of national assessment and state based      access of higher productivity vehicles;
• Option 2: introducing state based assessment and access, or
• Option 3: a national assessment and access scheme.

“The NTC found that the success of the PBS scheme has been limited by uncertainty of access to road networks, limited flexibility and high costs,” said NTC Chief Executive, Nick Dimopoulos.

“Option 3 will provide uniform regulation that gives operators and manufacturers the confidence that once the design has been approved their truck or bus is able to get on the road.”

Mr Dimopoulos said that PBS is a great risk management tool which ensures vehicles are safe to operate on road networks.

The ability for industry to certify vehicles and mix and match individual vehicle components was also recommended to reduce costs and increase flexibility for PBS participants.

If implemented, the proposed system of national assessment and access would be administered by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, which is expected to be in operation by 2013.

Public submissions regarding the RIS are welcome until the 21 May 2010. To download a copy of the RIS and make a submission, please click here.

NTC welcomes public submissions on the draft RIS until close of business on 21 May 2010.

Feedback will be incorporated into the final RIS document for submission to the Australian Transport Council (ATC), where the ministers will vote on the options presented in the document.

You can download the draft RIS and add your comments or submission by clicking here.

What are the Performance Based Standards?

Performance Based Standards (PBS) offers the potential for heavy vehicle operators to achieve higher productivity and safety through innovative vehicle design. These gains are typically not available under conventional ‘one size fits all’ prescriptive mass and dimension rules or the state-based permit system.

In other words, PBS governs what a vehicle can do, not what it should look like. PBS sets minimum vehicle ‘performance’ standards to ensure trucks are stable on the road and can turn and stop safely. We have tagged them SMART trucks – because they work smarter.

The PBS scheme has been in operation under administrative arrangements within road authorities since October 2007.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Paul Sullivan

NTC General Manager Communications and Strategy

Phone: 03 9236 5027

Mobile: 0419 715 242

Email: psullivan@ntc.gov.au