VICROADS is stepping up its enforcement of truck curfews in the Yarraville area.
Transport Safety Services officers are focusing on education in the second stage of a campaign involving engineering, education and enforcement responses.
Regional director Patricia Liew said the education campaign should reduce the number of trucks using residential roads such as Francis Street and Somerville Road in curfew hours.
“We have already conducted the engineering element, which involved a review of the signage and location of the curfews’ limits, resulting in some changes to improve their effectiveness,” she said.
“Now we’re … providing drivers and operators with information about the new arrangements and how VicRoads will be clamping down in coming months.” 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 to 6am, Monday to Saturday, and from 1pm, Saturday, to 6am, Monday, other than on local business.
A 2012 truck count showed, on average, 649 daily truck movements on Francis Street during the weekday curfew period – up from 534 in 2011.
A brochure outlining rules around the curfew is being provided to truck drivers and operators at routine stops.
Ms Liew said the three-tiered approach was developed with input from the industry and the community.
VicRoads served 278 infringement notices for curfew violations in 2009-10, dropping to only 23 in 2011-12 and rising to 205 in 2012-13.
Drivers breaching the curfew risk a $144 fine.
