We don’t want to die
Constant repairs: Leongatha operations manager for Peter Stoitse Transport, Peter Sarhanis, said poor roads damaged milk tankers.
A POTHOLE will claim a life on South Gippsland’s roads, a leader in the transport industry has warned.
The region’s crumbling roads are also costing one milk company $5000 a week in repairs.
Pothole riddled thoroughfares are causing damage to milk tankers, wrecking axles and wheel rims.
The State Government should adequately fund roadworks before someone is killed on the region’s roads, said Glenn Garner, business manager at Peter Stoitse Transport at Welshpool and Leongatha.
“They have got some budget restraints but what is a life worth, because that’s (death) what is going to happen,” he said.
Peter Stoitse Transport carries milk on behalf of Korumburra dairy company, Burra Foods. Mr Garner said potholes are forcing cars to swerve into the paths of milk tankers, risking collision and the lives of truck and car drivers.
Tanker drivers are also heading onto roadside verges to avoid potholes, causing loads of milk to shift, risking tankers overturning.
“It’s a safety issue. Some of the holes are big enough you can damage the steering straight away and if a driver tries to drive around them and the load shifts, it’s just fraught with danger,” Mr Garner said.
“We have not had any rollovers yet, caused by the holes, but it’s only a matter of time, especially if you get a driver change his route and he picks a pothole up at the last minute and he tries to move. It only takes a bit to sway the tanker.
“The drivers have reported potholes as a safety issue and they are concerned.
“Someone that goes around here in a truck has a good idea of how bad the roads are.”
That concern for life is shared by United Dairy Power’s Poowong site manager Jason Irving and UDT transport manager Peter Duffus.
“Not only are tanker drivers at risk but all road users. Both Peter and myself have driven trucks before and the roads around the area are a disgrace,” Mr Irving said.
“We both have spent time talking to the drivers and the poor quality of not only local roads but roads in general seems to be a topic, not just bitumen roads but gravel roads as well.”
United Dairy Power has a milk depot at Poowong. Its tankers sustained a weekly a repair bill of $5000 across a fleet of just 12 trucks in South Gippsland.
The company’s general manager, Darryl Cardona, said the region’s “pretty ordinary” roads must receive proper repairs.
“We would love to get improved road conditions in South Gippsland,” he said.
“There needs to be a lot of investment from government for arterial roads because the amount of damage that is being done to tankers is incredible.”
Stoitse Transport has experienced a spike in repairs costs to steering and tyres, replacement and repairs, in the last 12-18 months.
The company’s trucks also service supermarkets and produced has been damaged by drivers swerving around potholes.
Stoitse’s Leongatha operations manager Peter Sarhanis said the poor condition of roads was taking a toll on trucks.
“The drivers are constantly changing speeds for the potholes and we’ve had a lot of problems with suspension on the trucks. We’ve also had to re-weld leaks caused by the flexing of the tankers,” he said.
“It’s causing just general wear and tear on them.”
Mr Sarhanis named the highway between Foster and Welshpool as the worst section, and said the roads weren’t getting any better.
“One of our tankers was based in Welshpool and drove that road every day, and it always had more wear and tear than the others,” he said.
“Since we’ve brought it back to Leongatha, it isn’t as bad.”
Mr Sarhanis said a co-worker who had been with the company for 30 years had described the roads as being the worst he’d ever seen.
Murray Goulburn drivers are being extra vigilant given the poor state of roads, Robert Poole, MG’s general manager shareholder relations, said.
“Safety is top of mind for all MG employees. MG tanker drivers in Gippsland are aware local road conditions can be challenging and take extra care navigating damaged road surfaces,” he said.
“MG welcomes any improvements in road conditions and safety.”
The Star
informed Deputy Premier and Gippsland South MLA Peter Ryan of milk tankers sustaining damage.
He responded: “The Victorian Coalition Government recently announced a $45 million repair and restore package to address the poor condition of some of Victoria’s roads due to ongoing wet weather over the past two years.
“Around $2 million of this $45 million repair and restore package has been allocated to roads in South Gippsland, with more to come.
“Drivers are requested to call 13 11 71 to report roads in need of repair.”
Mr Ryan said the Road Management Act sets the threshold limit for property damage caused by the condition of the road or the road infrastructure at $1260 per incident.
“Claims are dealt with on an incident by incident basis. Drivers who have sustained damage to their vehicle due to any fault in the road surface should contact VicRoads and report the damage,” he said.
VicRoads did not respond to The Star’s request for comment before going to print.
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Posted by Simone Short on Jan 30 2013. Filed under Featured, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
