The fight to keep licence tests and vehicle checks in Sunshine has stepped up a notch.
A rally outside VicRoads’ Ballarat Road office last week – the fifth in a series in protest against VicRoads’ decision to discontinue the services – was also the best attended, with organiser Peter Thomson saying the movement is gathering momentum.
“I think we’ve got a reasonable chance of winning this,” he said.
“Had you asked me at the beginning, I’d have said those odds were minimal, but now I’d say it’s a good chance.”
Mr Thomson’s push to retain licence tests and vehicle checks in Sunshine has garnered local government support from Brimbank, Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong and Moonee Valley councils.
Hobsons Bay council last week voted to write to Roads Minister Luke Donnellan requesting that he reverse the decision, saying inner-west residents would otherwise have to travel to Melton, Werribee, Sunbury and Broadmeadows for driver-testing.
Councillor Angela Altair expressed her outrage about VicRoad’s decision at last week’s council meeting.
“This is another example of poor consultation, not-well-thought-out decision making and we do need to express our disappointment with the state government for allowing this to get as far as this,” she said. “It beggars belief that they can justify this closure.”
VicRoads will relocate its Sunshine customer service centre and regional office to new premises at 12-14 Clarke Street, Sunshine early next year.
Registration and licensing executive director David Shelton said the new site would
be inadequate for licence testing because of “extremely challenging local traffic conditions”.
