Transport operators to benefit from improvements made to the Intelligent Access Program (IAP)
Transport Certification Australia Limited (TCA) today thanked the NSW Minister for Roads and Ports, the Hon Duncan Gay MLC, for announcing further details on two major initiatives to make the IAP more flexible and cost effective for transport operators.
Today’s announcement follows the outcomes of the December 2012 NSW Road Freight Industry Council (RFIC) meeting, where TCA reported on the advancements being made to the IAP, which were being developed in response to industry need.
‘Following December’s RFIC meeting, where we advised of the work being performed on the Entry Options initiative and flexible IAP pricing, there has been a positive response from industry,’ said Chief Executive Officer of TCA, Mr Chris Koniditsiotis.
‘We’ve worked closely with transport operators, IAP Service Providers and the NSW Government to develop sensible and practical solutions to the issues faced by transport operators.’
‘The valuable input obtained from these deliberations will make the IAP more flexible and cost-effective for a wider range of transport operators that want to benefit from the higher productivity access entitlements made available through the IAP.’
‘Furthermore, we’ve worked with TCA’s Member agencies from the Commonwealth, and each Australian State and Territory, meaning that today’s announcement by Minister Gay will be recognised – and benefit transport operators – across the country,’ Mr Koniditsiotis added.
‘One of the two reforms announced by Minister Gay is the expansion of the Entry Options initiative,’ Mr Koniditsiotis said.
‘Starting today, any transport operator will be able to ask TCA to conduct an initial assessment of its in-vehicle technology for use in the IAP – at absolutely no cost.’
‘I would like to acknowledge the three participants involved in the initial pilot of the Entry Options initiative announced by the Minister during 2012 – Boral, Toll Group and Simon Transport. The experience gained with these operators means we’ve been able to respond to the Minister’s request to open-up the Entry Options initiative to other transport operators.’
‘The Minister also announced the availability of flexible IAP pricing, which recognises the diverse needs of transport operators when it comes to Higher Mass Limits (HML) utilisation,’ Mr Koniditsiotis said.
‘Under the new arrangements, TCA will reduce its Operational Fee – which covers the costs of auditing IAP services delivered by IAP Service Providers to satisfy regulatory requirements – based on the level of HML use per vehicle, on a monthly basis.’
‘This change allows TCA to assist in reducing the costs of the IAP to transport operators, and for IAP Service Providers to pass on this cost saving to transport operators.’
‘Transport operators with an infrequent need to transport HML loads will see the Operational Fee reduced to zero.’
‘Those with an occasional level of HML use will benefit from a significant reduction in the Operational Fee.’
‘For those with a consistent level of HML use, there is no change to current arrangements,’ Mr Koniditsiotis added.
Details on how TCA will adjust its Operational Fee according to the level of HML use, is presented in the table below:
| HML usage | Level of usage (per vehicle, per month) | Operational Fee (per vehicle, per month) excl. GST |
| Infrequent use | Up to 1 HML load/trip per month | $0 |
| Occasional use | Up to 5 HML loads/trips per month | $10 |
| Consistent use | Unlimited HML usage | $33 |
‘The changes TCA has made to its Operational Fee are in direct response to industry concerns that – for many transport operators – only a small proportion of trips are loaded to HML,’ Mr Koniditsiotis said.
‘The changes will assist IAP Service Providers to offer pricing plans according to the level of HML use. To this end, TCA is encouraging all IAP Service Providers to introduce pricing plans that better meet the different needs of transport operators when it comes to HML use.’
‘To ensure that both these reforms are providing benefits to the largest possible number of transport operators, we will review both the Entry Options initiative and flexible IAP pricing by the end of 2013.’
‘These important reforms provide renewed opportunities for a wider range of transport operators to take advantage of the potential productivity benefits available through the IAP.’
‘It is also a practical demonstration of how collaborative approaches between stakeholders can deliver meaningful and positive changes, and I acknowledge Minister Gay for his leadership in giving effect to these national reforms,’ Mr Koniditsiotis said.
Further details about flexible IAP pricing and the expanded Entry Options initiative can be found by clicking on the below links: