Truck stops re-opened for truckies in Australia; plan for Aug. 31st strike still moving ahead
In Australia, New South Wales’ Police Commissioner Fuller has confirmed that truck stops and roadhouses will be reopened to support the trucking and freight industry as they conduct business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The truck stops and roadhouses needed by truckers along the long Australian routes had been closed as a COVID-19 safety measure on the advice of Public Health bureaucrats and was one of the reasons drivers began organizing a protest strike on August 31st. Although the truck stops have been allowed to open, truckies are still so disgusted with COVID lockdown measures and police brutality, they are proceeding with plans for the protest.
From 2pm Sunday 22 August 2021, roadside trucking services such as dedicated services stations and roadhouses re-opened to ensure that trucking workers have the amenities they need to conduct operations. This will include dining, showers and toilet amenities. These services and facilities are not open to the public.
Roadhouses will be required to develop COVID-safe plans to ensure that business operations can comply with Public Health Order restrictions to limit the spread of the virus. This will include:
- QR check ins
- Ensuring adequate spacing and cleaning, particularly in dining facilities
- Hand hygiene facilities
- Enforcing mask wearing requirements; and any other strategies to minimise the risk of the virus spreading.
Dining areas will not be available to the public and will need to be partitioned off to ensure that the facility is clearly marked as only available for truck and transportation workers.
