Drug Taking WARNING TO HAULIERS

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31042, 23 April 1966, Page 17

Drug Taking WARNING TO HAULIERS

(A’.Z. Press Association—Copyright >

MELBOURNE, April 22.

Drug taking by inter-state transport drivers was a very serious problem, the Minister for Transport, Mr E. R. Meagher, told the Victorian Road Transport Association hauliers’ conference todav.

“It is a terrible thing to have to lecture conference members on this problem,” he said.

"When a driver exceeds his | hours and takes pep pills to maintain his schedule, the i implications are obvious. He 'is taking a habit-forming (drug and may become a : menace to every road user.”

“But the first time somebody driving a big truck causes a multiple smash on the highway and is found to be under the influence of drugs, there will be a public outcry.

MINISTER S APPEAL I Mr Meagher said he appealed to reputable road | hauliers to see that the others "pulled up their socks and did something about it.” “The Government can bring in harsh restrictive legislation to stamp out these practices, but it would infinitely be better if organisations such as the V.R.T.A. brought hauliers into line with their schedules and conditions."

“Such a demand for action to suppress the practice could not be resisted by any government.” Mr Meagher said. In replv to the Minister, the V.R.T.A. president, Mr Colin Macdonald, told the conference: “We have had I positive proof in the last few weeks that this pilljtaking is far more rampant i than was thought. “There is evidence of some, 30 cases discovered on the road. “BAD THING” “This is a bad thing, not [ only for the operators concerned, but for the wellbeing of our industry. Wei will use every means we can' I to try and combat it. “The road transport orga-! ;nisation in Australia can 'never be efficient while this igbes on,” Mr Macdonald said, i Mr Meagher told the conference that the problem of drug-taking arose from the practices of a minority in the industry. “There are some ownerdrivers and some firms, I regret to say, who fix such [ tight time schedules that drivers are compelled to take these pills to keep up,”- Mr Meagher said. VEHICLES SEARCHED Since last year the Transport Regulation Board had been able to search vehicles on the road and inspectors had found drivers not with the one log book as required, but with multiple log books which they kept for various reasons. “In almost every case the inspectors have found the offending driver in possession of pep pills. “The law differs between states, and where drugs are not available in one state they may be obtained freely

lin another,” Mr Meagher isaid.