Hundreds of demonstrators brought busy Somerville Road in Yarraville to a standstill today in a protest calling for truck curfews during school crossing times.
Pupils played hopscotch and other games on the road while protestors waved placards and a banner warning of the dangerous mix posed by trucks and kids.
PICTURE GALLERY: Truck protest in Yarraville
Maribyrnong Truck Action Group president Samantha McArthur said the vast majority of 21,000 trucks using inner-west streets per day are doing so as a shortcut between the port of Melbourne and container yards further west.
“That’s just not acceptable and the port container movements are set to double by 2020, so this is not going away and if we don’t take action,” she said.
“We can already see from the way the government has been completely silent on this issue that it will not disappear. Our kids like any kids anywhere in Melbourne deserve clean air.”
Maribyrnong mayor Grant Miles asked what it would take for Premier Denis Napthine to respond to calls for help and to look at the issue.
“It’s not too much to ask, trucks should be on the Westgate Freeway where they belong. It can be done right now.”
He has invited the Transport Minister to visit the area and witness the effects for himself.
Dr Merryn Redenbach of Doctors for the Environment told the rally that air pollution kills more people in Australia each year than car accidents.
“Children are particularly vulnerable because their protective systems aren’t fully developed yet,” she said.
“We have the responsibility to provide a safe environment for children. Unfortunately in Australia our air pollution standards are failing us and we see an example of that here. As we know children and trucks don’t mix.”
Kingsville Primary School pupil Ella Edith said she loves her school but the trucks are a big problem.
“There are too many big trucks on Somerville Road and they make it very noisy and polluted.”
Pupil Ella said trucks often come too close to the footpath when she walks to school.
“I worry like they might not stop at the crossing. I’m worried that little kids aren’t safe to walk to school.”
Parent Marney Junge said many parents were worried by the number of trucks travelling on Somerville Road during school crossing times.
“The sheer number of trucks in the morning is unbelievable, the noise and the smell and these kids are crossing the road every single day.”
“I’m just worried by the general pollution and noise and that the trucks will make a mistake some day.”
VicRoads is investigating the curfew call but argues they would push truck traffic to Yarraville’s Francis Street.
