Work time and logbook sanity applauded

A year of lobbying by the Agricultural Transport Forum (ATF) and Federated Farmers has led to the exemption of tractors and agricultural vehicles from the 2007 Land Transport Rule: Work Time and Logbooks.

An amendment to the rule allowing tractors and other agricultural vehicles to be driven on a class 1 (car) license, providing they do not exceed 30kph on roads, came into force on 15 January 2009.

“The inclusion of tractors and related vehicles within a rule designed to prevent fatigued truck drivers driving on the open road was always an anomaly and caused immense problems for the agricultural sector,” says ATF chairman, Roger Parton.

“Thanks to former Labour Transport Safety Minister, Harry Duynhoven, and National’s new Minister of Transport, Stephen Joyce, this anomaly has now been fixed.

“The exclusion will remove an organisational headache for farmers and rural contractors, as well as removing an administrative burden,” Mr Parton concluded.

As a result of this decision, tractors and other agricultural vehicles like harvesters, weighing up to 18 tonne, can be driven on a class 1 (car) license providing they do not exceed 30kph on roads. As the work time rules do not apply to vehicles driven on a class 1 license, the affect of this change will remove tractors and agricultural vehicles from the work-time and logbook rules. While driving on roads is sometimes a necessity, the fact is that the bulk of the driving done by these operators is off-road and poses very little risk to motorists.

“Restricting the time a farmer or contractor could spend in the tractor seat made it impossible for agricultural operations to be legally carried out,” added Donald Aubrey, Federated Farmers transport spokesperson.

“This is most evident during harvests. The reality is that farmers and contractors work outdoors and they have to work around the weather. Agriculture requires flexibility in working hours and the former transport rule is a good example of how over zealous regulation can have unintended consequences.

“Both Harry Duynhoven and Stephen Joyce were receptive of the ATF’s representation as well as efforts by the Federation. Their decision to remove tractors and farm vehicles from the rule is a victory for commonsense all-round,” Mr Aubrey concluded.