THE Metropolitan Fire Service has rejected a restricted access permit from Transport SA amid a four-month stalemate over a new $1.3 million fire truck.
The Scania-Bronto aerial appliance was showcased at a national firefighters conference in Adelaide in September, but since then has remained mothballed in an Angle Park depot because Transport SA bureaucrats will not license it for all South Australian roads.
Emergency Services Minister Michael Wright said he only became aware of the licensing problem today, after revelations in The Advertiser.
He blamed the vehicle's manufacturer, Finnish-based Bronto Skylift, for not building the unit that is popular with fire services across the country to specifications contained in a contract.
"It's non-conforming ... once the supplier has fulfilled all the requirements with regard to the contract, it will then be given the appropriate permits to be able to go on all the roads we want it to go and we will be away," Mr Wright said.
This is despite the same vehicle, and other larger appliances, having been licensed in four other states.
In similar situations interstate, special dispensation has been provided to emergency services vehicles.
It is the second vehicle registration problem in 12 months for the MFS. In late 2007, the MFS's new $1.4 million hi-tech Incident Command Vehicle was stranded interstate while bureaucrats argued over how it should be classified.
That was despite an identical ICV being in service with the Melbourne Fire Brigade.
Transport authorities say the new Bronto unit exceeds the legal rear axle load limit by about 340kg. The vehicle weighs about 27 tonnes.
It will cost the manufacturer about $35,000 to modify the wheel base by up to 400mm to comply with Transport SA guidelines.
A Transport Department spokeswoman said a restricted access permit, allowing the Bronto to be used on most roads for day-to-day operations and all roads for emergency calls, had been offered.
But MFS chief officer and chief executive Grant Lupton today said he would not accept that permit because the vehicle had to be licensed for unlimited use in SA.
He said a "compromise" had been negotiated with Transport SA after bureaucrats last year licensed the ICV only for use on Transport Department roads, meaning it could not go on roads under local council control.
For non-emergency operations, a permit has been issued for the ICV to travel on department roads and approved local roads that have been assessed as safe and suitable with council agreement.
Transport SA will not allow unlimited access for the ICV or the Bronto because of the poor condition of some roads.
But industry sources said it was common for other heavier vehicles to be granted special permits by Transport SA.
Sources said the issue was more about an "internal battle" between the MFS and Transport SA bureaucrats.
Mr Lupton said SA standards were "higher and more restrictive" than those interstate.
However, Mr Wright said "safety was always the highest priority".
Opposition road safety spokesman Stephen Wade today said the Government was "neglecting road maintenance and not maintaining control of its own bureaucracy".
"We've got to upgrade our roads, we've got to make sure that our emergency services have state of the art equipment," he said.
A spokesman for Bronto Skylift said work was being undertaken to modify the new vehicle to comply with SA guidelines.
He declined further comment.
