The Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) is calling for a COVID testing site to be set up at the Mount White heavy vehicle inspection station, along with other weighing stations across the state, to facilitate testing for truck drivers.
TWU NSW State Secretary, Richard Olsen, has written to NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, calling for the nine stations across NSW to be urgently converted to offer testing for truckies – a solution already being used in Victoria.
“This would allow drivers to use existing infrastructure to get their COVID tests with minimal difficulty, and without cutting into their important rest breaks,” Olsen said.
“Under the public health orders and interstate border restrictions, many truck drivers are required to submit to regular COVID tests every 3-7 days.
“However, truck drivers across NSW are continuing to encounter unnecessary difficulties in complying with their testing requirements, including long waiting times and testing sites running out of tests.
“Truck drivers are critical to keeping our supermarket shelves stocked and our society functioning during the current lockdowns.
“(They) want to do the right thing and comply with all the rules, but the NSW Government is making that much harder than it needs to be.
“Truck drivers are spending massive amounts of time during their rest breaks waiting in a queue to get tested.
“That’s a major inconvenience to the drivers, but it’s also a big road safety concern if drivers aren’t able to actually rest during their rest breaks.
“This seems like a no-brainer – the NSW Government just needs to make it happen.”
Source:
Media release, Aug 4
Transport Workers Union NSW