More Good News for Cooper Ferry Users with Trailers

This is great news, thank you for following up Stephen.
regards Simon.

Thanks a million for all the postings Stephen, cheers Marion

Hmm .... most quads have a MAX towing capacity of about 500kgs. So insurance cover might well be an issue - no good checking up about that AFTER your trailer is in the drink! I also seem to recall there are minimum mass requirements for the towing vehicle vis a vis the trailer mass on a public road (which this is)
Andrew

er...... are not all ferry operators in SA certified road traffic inspectors ? (as I recall reading in a gazette or official advisory somewhere)....... surely they wouldn't allow any illegal traffic on that or any other ferry.

Conditional Registration is issued for "unroadworthy " vehicles to travel on public roads under restrictions - e.g. farm tractors, forklifts, snowcats.

If you want to help road users, you find a way to permit a vehicle to travel at less than 10km/hr to pull a trailer onto a ferry.

If you want to think like a "public servant", you look at abusing the few powers that you have to make life more difficult for road users.

Simple.
The people who want their campers on the ferry sign a waiver for the quad bike operator that they accept all risk and damages and are aware of the risks.
The people above (Im pretty sure they are just throwing you guys a line and reeling you all in now, as surely no-one is that pathetic?) dont abuse information given out in good faith, and turn their attention to granny's speeding on their gophers instead.

sorted-no need for any aggro!!

Game over..

From Transport SA's road conditions web siie as of today.

# COOPER CREEK FERRY INFORMATION
# The department has become aware of illegal activity at the ferry crossing.
# The use of a quad bike to load / unload trailers is NOT ALLOWED
# **The ferry will be closed for general maintenance between the hours of 10.00am and 2.30pm on Wednesday 21 July and Thursday 22 July 2010.**
# Signs displaying condition of use of the ferry are installed at Marree, Birdsville, Mungeranie and at the ferry crossing.
# Conditions of use of the ferry:
# Maximum load for vehicles - 10t gross
# Maximum load for cattle on hoof - 8t gross
# Maximum length of vehicles is 7.8m - Trailers are permitted providing the total length of towing vehicle and trailer does not exceed 7.8m
# CARAVANS ARE NOT PERMITTED
# TRAILERS CANNOT BE TRANSPORTED SEPARATE TO TOWING VEHICLE
# TRAILERS MUST REMAIN HITCHED TO TOWING VEHICLE WHILST ON FERRY
# Persons use the ferry at own risk
# No more than 6 passengers permitted on ferry at the one time
# No persons permitted in vehicles during crossing
# Lifejackets must be worn
# The ferry will operate during daylight hours only 7 days per week weather permitting
# All persons must follow instructions and conditions in loading as directed by the ferry operator.
# Further ferry information is available at www.sa.gov.au/ferryservices

SA Transport Roads conditions site

Do you really think that the cops or SA transport mob are going to drive up to the Cooper and put a stop to some one towing trailers with a quad. Come on guys use a bit of common sense. The amount of tourist dollars places like birdsville and Marree would loose because no one towing a trailer can do the full trip would be through the roof, especially this year due to the water. Why drive away people (including myself) because of someone useing abit of Aussie inginuity and then being dobbed in by some gov dept worker trying to make a name for himself.

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Well enough people complained and the quad bike is now canned, great stuff by the wowsers. Stephen we might need to do another thread for all those now expecting to get accross with camper.

This comment is too late to make any difference to the outcome of the debate but I believe it has relevance for such future debates.

In late April 1999 we set off for Cape York unfortunately for us the northern cape had the biggest wet season in 43 years with the majority of the rain falling in March. When we arrived in Cairns we got news that the Archer and Wenlock rivers were still in flood. The Archer dropped quite quickly and in mid May we crossed it easily but the Wenlock drains a large wetland. When in Weipa the river level was at a persistent 4m above the causeway.

We had heard that the tour operators had organised for a barge to transport vehicles across the river and that they would allow the general public to use it. The advice given in Weipa was that the barge was unsafe and that we would be fools to risk our vehicles on this vessel which was not built to survey and therefore would void our insurance.

Hundreds of people turned south from Weipa disappointed at missing out on their once in a lifetime chance to the tip. I went and had a look.

I did the maths and worked out that the barge had enough capacity to carry twice the weight of my vehicle. Without hesitation I loaded my car and camper onto the barge. It has become the stuff of legends and is a story, like many others, that is improving with age.

As for the legalities. The tour operators who owned the barge refused to accept payment for its use. Their legal advice was that in accepting payment they accepted liability. By allowing people free use they were transferring liability to the vehicle owner, me. Because the operator spent a considerable amount of his own time helping me use the barge that he had built I bought him a beer, actually I bought him a carton.

Surely if the operator of the quad was charging for the service he was accepting liability for any loss or legal action that arose from his service. The reason Transport SA stopped it was surely because by allowing an unregistered quad towing what would be an overweight trailer onto the barge they were condoning the action and accepting at least some of the liability.

Duncs

Boy so much for free enterprise, will be up the mid augsust myself.

Can anybody tell me the legalities of if I rig a scuba regulator to the snorkle of my truck so that it can breath from an air cylinder then I can drive along the original track without having to go on the ferry.

Now you say I will drown but I will use the buddy regulator to breath and as I am towing a camper trailer we can share the reg to get to the other side.

Sorry just a bit of humour LOL!