Hobsons Bay council and residents are calling for no truck tolls on the West Gate Freeway, as the state government last week claimed fewer trucks would use Millers Road if one truck toll point was removed as part of the West Gate Tunnel project.
In a press release last week, Roads Minister Luke Donnellan said traffic modelling showed 3000 fewer trucks would use Millers Road in 2031 without the Millers Road to Grieve Parade toll point.
Brooklyn resident Chris Dunlevy, a member of the Don’t Destroy Millers Road lobby group, said the government’s claims were misleading.
“The original estimates were for a truck increase on Millers Road of 7000 per day, but now with the toll point moving east of Millers, it’s predicted to be 4000 more,” he said.
“This is not a decrease, it’s only less than first predicted.
“While we do support moving the toll east we would prefer no tolls at all on the freeway.”
Hobsons Bay mayor Sandra Wilson said according to the government’s own figures, the number of trucks using Millers Road would rise from the current 4500 a day to between 12,000 and 15,000 over the next 15 years because of the West Gate Tunnel.
“Removing 3000 trucks will therefore bring this down to 9000 at the most optimistic assessment – that’s still double the number of trucks that use Millers Road today,” she said. “The best measure for Millers Road would be to enforce a 24-hour truck ban with local trucks exempt, and other trucks diverted to Grieve Parade in the short term.”
She said truck tolls should not be imposed on the West Gate Freeway.
“This would significantly reduce the risk of toll avoidance and traffic displacement through the residential areas of Altona North, South Kingsville and Spotswood,” Cr Wilson said.
“If tolls are required, they should be restricted to the new ramps and the new tunnel.”
