The trucking industry has slammed the Greens’ plan to increase registration charges for B-double trucks. Their plan would increase supermarket prices across regional Australia.
The Greens announced they would ‘end the subsidisation of B-double truck registrations’ and divert those resources to supporting a shift of freight to rail.
ATA Chief Executive Stuart St Clair said the Greens’ policy was based on dodgy figures and the assumption that every supermarket had a railway siding next to its loading dock.
“The Greens claim that the registration charge for an 8 axle B-double is now $7426, compared to more than $11,000 a decade ago,” St Clair said.
“The Greens are wrong. The national registration charge for an 8 axle B-double is currently $14,770, which consists of $7582 for the prime mover, $6372 for a tri-axle lead trailer and $816 for a tandem B trailer.
“Clearly, the Greens forgot to add in the registration charges for the two trailers.
“The registration charge for a 9 axle B-double, which is much more common, is even higher at $15,340.
“Registration charges for B-doubles have increased dramatically over the last three years, as the result of a phased-in process to eliminate the cross subsidy that used to exist between small and large trucks.
“The last stage of the phase-in process occurred on 1 July, when the national registration charge for an 8 axle B-double increased by almost 22 per cent. The national registration charge for a nine-axle B-double increased by almost 26 per cent.
“As a result of this process, B-doubles pay their way on the road system, as does the trucking industry as a whole.”
Mr St Clair said the Greens’ plan would not shift freight onto rail. He said it would, instead, just push up supermarket prices for people in regional areas.
“I’d like to invite Lee Rhiannon and the Greens to check out the local supermarkets around Australia. They’ll notice something very important for the credibility of their policy: supermarkets don’t have railway sidings out the back.
“Every item on the shelves of every supermarket in Australia is delivered by truck. The Greens’ plan would just increase supermarket prices for hardworking Australians. Once again, it’s clear the Greens do not know what they are talking about when it comes to transport policy,” Mr St Clair added.