ABC NEWS
14/11/2006
AUSTRALIA - Grain farmers may have to pay higher freight costs because trucking companies are facing problems obtaining road permits for certain silos.
Some companies have had to re-route deliveries because of the closure of almost a third of the state's silos.
Road trains have been granted access to the Bowman's silo at Port Wakefield, but the permits are conditional on a traffic controller being present whenever a truck leaves the site.
Rodney Quinn from Quinns Transport says the company will honour its existing contracts to take grain to Bowmans, but it will not take on any new ones because it will result in an extra cost for the farmers.
"Our overall view is we've pursued the issue, we haven't got very far, the restrictions are no good, so we've given it away," he said.
The Transport Department says the traffic control restrictions are a public safety issue, but it will continue to work towards a solution for the grain carriers.
