LIBERALS BACK TRAIN LIGHTING REFORMS TO IMPROVE LEVEL CROSSING SAFETY
Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas today affirmed the Liberal Party’s commitment to mandatory train lighting reforms, ahead of legislation being introduced to Parliament by the Nationals WA.
Mr Zempilas said the reform was long overdue and paid tribute to rail safety advocate Lara Jensen, who has campaigned tirelessly for change.
“Twenty-six years ago, Lara’s brother and two of his friends were killed in one of Western Australia’s worst rail crashes,” he said.
“Since then, Lara has dedicated herself to improving rail safety and making level crossings safer for all Western Australians.
“Trains are the largest and heaviest vehicles on our transport network, yet the law requires better lighting on bicycles than it does on trains.
“That makes no sense. Together with our Nationals WA colleagues, we are prepared to act where others have failed.”
Shadow Transport Minister Steve Martin said the reforms were a practical and commonsense step towards improving safety at level crossings.
“There has been a strong campaign for improved train visibility and it’s time the State Government did something about it,” he said.
“Better train lighting won’t solve every level crossing safety issue, but it is a simple, practical reform that can make trains more visible and help reduce the risk of tragedy.
“We urge the State Government to put politics aside, recognise this as a commonsense safety measure and support the legislation when it gets to Parliament.”
