More than 100 residents shut down a busy Yarraville intersection last week to protest the state government’s refusal to commit to blanket truck bans on local roads once the Western Distributor tollway is built.
The protesters, gathered at the corner of Francis Street and Williamstown Road, called for permanent truck bans and “world’s best practice filtration” on the tunnel beneath Yarraville.
Protesters carried a giant ‘Port Trucks Out’ banner and chanted for truck bans while a band played and children chalked anti-truck messages on the road.
Maribyrnong Truck Action Group (MTAG) secretary Martin Wurt said the area already had a massive problem with trucks avoiding a toll of $5.50 on the Bolte Bridge and using local streets.
“So if the toll’s going to be $13 on this new tunnel, we’re going to continue to have this massive issue.”
Oncology pharmacist and clean air advocate Clare Walter said the bans were essential for providing cleaner air for residents, particularly children.
Maribyrnong councillor Grant Miles said the $5.5 billion Western Distributor project would be a waste of money if trucks weren’t forced to use it.
He told the crowd Buckley Street in Footscray and Seddon would bear the brunt of rat-running if bans were introduced only on certain routes.
But Victorian Transport Association chief executive Peter Anderson said the industry did not support permanently banning trucks from inner west roads.
“Bans and curfews are not solutions. They send entirely the wrong message about how our roads should be used and undermine the sharing-the-road culture that all road users need to adopt,” he said.
Speaking ahead of the protest, State Roads Minister Luke Donnellan defended the lack of commitment to a complete ban.
“I don’t think protesting there is actually going to assist in getting the outcome,” he said.
“It’s fine to do Kumbaya with the Greens, but what we’re doing is, we’re working with industry and the local community.”
Western suburbs Greens MP Colleen Hartland said it was disappointing to hear the minister “resorting to silly insults”.
“The current truck curfews are still resulting in our children being hospitalised from asthma at double the rate of the eastern suburbs.”
Ms Hartland said the community should not have to wait until after the tollway was built to get a straight answer on whether container trucks would be forced to use it.
