ANOTHER truck rollover on western suburbs roads has reignited a campaign for trucks to be kept off residential streets.
A semi-trailer carrying a 12-metre container flipped on Moore Street in Footscray last Tuesday night, smashing into a traffic signal box and bringing down power lines.
The container truck rolled at the pedestrian crossing at Ballarat Road, ending up on the Moore Street footpath.
“It’s another example of the issues you have when trucks are driving down streets that haven’t been designed for them,” said Scott Adams, of community group Less Trucks for Moore.
“This is an issue that has been building for years and years.”
Mr Adams said the driver was trapped in the cabin for some time as live wires sparked around the truck.
“When I spoke with him he said that he did not like having to drive these size trucks on residential streets, but this route is what VicRoads advise they use,” he said.
“With over 4000 trucks movements a day it’s only a matter of time before there is a fatality. Trucks of this size should not be on residential streets.”
Less Trucks for Moore (LTM) is calling for a 50kmh speed limit in the short term and overnight curfews on Moore Street, in keeping with those elsewhere in Footscray and Yarraville.
Western suburbs Greens MP Colleen Hartland backed the call for reduced speed limits before someone gets hurt. She says residents have a truck hurtling past their door nearly every minute at night and almost every 20 seconds in daylight. “I’m so thankful that no one was hurt or killed in this instance. This intersection is heavily used by pedestrians, including kids walking to school. Next time we may not be so lucky.”
LTM and the Maribyrnong Truck Action Group (MTAG) staged a rally in the city outside Friday’s Committee for Economic Development conference on growing port infrastructure.
Protesters dumped 1000 toy trucks on the steps of the Hilton Hotel, where the conference was being held, and played recordings of loud truck noise to show the need for better transport planning and infrastructure around ports. MTAG spokesman Peter Knight said Melbourne’s inner west had the highest diesel pollution levels measured anywhere in Australia.
“It’s time business leaders and government took into consideration the health and safety of residents as they plan for yet more port expansion,” Mr Knight said.
VicRoads regional director Patricia Liew ruled out lowering the speed limit on Moore Street.
“VicRoads has assessed the 60kmh speed limit along Moore Street based on the design, roadside development and other relevant criteria,” she said. “The existing speed limit was found to be appropriate … and is consistent with the speed limit on other roads of a similar nature.”
