A Wollongong-based trucking company involved in a fatal collision south of Sydney has defended itself against accusations of poor safety standards.
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A 67-year-old Bega woman was killed on New Illawarra Road at Barden Ridge about 4.30am Monday when a Barnetts Couriers truck collided with the back of the car she was travelling in.
Though the cause of the crash has not been determined, Transport Workers Union NSW has called on roads authorities to investigate the company’s “history of unsafe practices” in light of the tragedy.
“It’s fair to say whilst we cannot pinpoint what caused this tragic accident, we do know it’s not the first involving Barnetts,” said Rob Pirc, secretary of TWU’s South Coast and Southern branch.
“The company has an appalling record in regards to safety.
“There have been years of complaints that have come through from various drivers in relation to not only safety on trucks, but safety within the yard.”
The Barden Ridge accident was the second fatality linked to a Barnetts driver since February 2012, when Kaine Daniel Barnett crashed into a university student and a tow truck driver in the breakdown lane of the Hume Highway at Berrima, killing both.
Mr Barnett, the grandson of company founder Bob Barnett, was sentenced to a minimum 18 months jail.
Responding to the union claims, Barnetts internal auditor Lindsay Johnston said it was unfair to link the two tragedies.
“[The union] claims a lot of things – let’s see them show the actual evidence,” he said.
“We feel that we’ve got a very good track record over the last 50-odd years, over the east coast of Australia, clocking up many millions of kilometres.
“I’ve been with the company for 35 years and we have had three fatalities in all that time.
“That’s three too many, but it’s a pretty good track record in terms of safety.”
Mr Johnston said the 30-year-old truck driver involved in Monday’s crash was “doing as well as can be expected”.
The union had been locked in a dispute with Barnetts for several years over worker wages and conditions.
A police investigation into Monday’s crash is ongoing. A spokeswoman for the Roads and Maritime Services said: “we will be looking into the company as part of those investigations”.
