RTA Release Proposed Fatigue Rule Changes

The NSW government and the RTA have released the proposed changes in fatigue regulations for comment. The Regional Freight Advisory Council is where representatives of the trucking industry sit down with those from the NSW Government and the RTA to iron out the deficiencies in the current regulations. The Fatigue Sub Group of the RFAC has been working on amendments to improve the performance of the fatigue regulations as they currently stand.

The proposed changes include the ability to use the vehicle for one continuous hour for personal reasons during a 24 hour rest period. The RTA propose to allow drivers to keep their engine running during rest periods when the vehicle is stationary. There is to be some simplification of the record keeping requirements for vehicles traveling less than 100km from base.

Most importantly the RTA is considering removing the need for a 24 hour continuous rest break after 84 hours of work time from AFM requirements. This change in itself could make it possible for NSW to allow its first AFM application as this rule has been a sticking point for many AFM schemes.

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