Trucking boss praises road work
EVERYONE is giving politicians a serve for bickering over the Federal-State split in highway funding, but a Grafton trucking company boss has nothing but praise.
"People don't give credit where it's due; they just concentrate on the next stretch of road that needs work," said Blanchard Haulage CEO Robert Blanchard.
"They've just opened the Ballina bypass and I want to congratulate the State and Federal governments for a wonderful road," Mr Blanchard said.
"Whenever I see the Pacific Hwy general manager Bob Higgins I congratulate him, as too many people come up to him and bag him and never are they saying thank you."
When pressed, nature's perfect gentleman was able to nominate his worst sections of road and still managed some praise.
"The stretch north along through Tabbimobil is a section that is quite poor. From here to Maclean running along the river isn't all that good, but that will all be picked up by the bypass of Grafton due by 2016."
His concerns are not about roadworks and funding debates, but about the need for highway rest facilities after towns are bypassed.
"When the RMS are doing the planning part of a bypass, they should be looking at who is going to be interested in putting a travel centre in here and when."
There were no service stations near the new Ballina bypass, he said, and as the highway improved and more bypasses were made, the stretch between refreshment stops lengthened for his drivers.
