RULES are being spectacularly flouted with just one in every 7000 trucks using Francis Street during curfew hours being booked.
Williamstown MP Wade Noonan is calling on Roads Minister Terry Mulder to urgently boost VicRoads resources to ensure night-time and weekend truck curfews are enforced in residential Footscray and Yarraville streets.
In a speech to State Parliament this week, Mr Noonan argued “there has been no clearer demonstration of the Baillieu government’s disregard for the people of Melbourne’s west” than inaction on trucks.
The most recent truck count showed an average 649 daily truck movements on Francis Street during the weekday curfew period — up from 534 in 2011. VicRoads served 278 infringement notices in 2009-10, but this dropped to only 23 in 2011-12.
Mr Noonan will argue “renegade drivers and operators” know the chance of getting caught has never been lower. “Local residents living in the inner west should be justifiably outraged by this situation.”
The curfews were introduced on Somerville Road in 2001 and in Francis Street in 2002.
Trucks heavier than 4.5 tonnes are banned from using the roads from 8pm and 6am, Monday to Saturday, and from 1pm, Saturday, to 6am, Monday — other than on local business.
Residents and western suburbs MPs are pushing for tighter controls on the definition of “local business”.
The truck curfew review committee, chaired by Maribyrnong Council, is reviewing the curfews and due to report back to council next week.
VicRoads regional director Patricia Liew said targeted enforcement had led to 65 infringement notices for curfew violations between July and the end of October this year. “VicRoads will take a considered approach to the issue of truck noise on Francis Street and review the outcomes from this committee to deliver the best outcomes for the community,” she said.
