A COMMUNITY group pushing for large trucks to be taken off residential streets has welcomed a review into the operation of truck curfews in the inner west.
Under a plan considered at last night’s Maribyrnong Council meeting, the Maribyrnong Truck Action Group (MTAG) would be part of a committee examining the curfews a decade after they were introduced to residential streets in Yarraville and Footscray.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS STORY TO POST A COMMENT.
Night and weekend truck curfews were introduced on Somerville Road between Geelong Road and Hyde Street in 2001 and in Francis Street between Whitehall Street and Cemetery Road in 2002.
The curfews ban trucks heavier than 4.5 tonnes using the roads from 8pm and 6am, Monday to Saturday, and 1pm Saturday to 6am Monday, other than on local business.
“While the truck curfews have resulted in a reduction of night-time truck traffic on some local streets containing curfews, there is evidence of increasing overall truck traffic and increasing impacts on the community,” a report by council infrastructure and engineering general manager Ian Butterworth found.
VicRoads traffic counts show an increase of up to 10per cent in truck traffic on Francis Street over the past year, with trucks now accounting for 12per cent of all trips (up by 3per cent). Williamstown Road recorded small drops and there was a 20per cent drop on Buckley Street.
While overall traffic for Francis Street rose by 10per cent in the nine years to 2011, truck numbers dropped by 15 per cent, possibly due to a move to larger, B-Double trucks.
The curfews have forced extra trucks onto Moore Street north of Hopkins Street, where average weeknight traffic from 8pm to 6am exploded almost five-fold from
110 per night in 2002 to 522 last year.
The report found the stalled Truck Action Plan – in limbo under the current government – would take trucks off a number of traffic-plagued roads and allow a wider rollout of curfews or bans.
The proposed east west link would cut truck numbers on Buckley and Moore streets.
Transport Minister Terry Mulder has given the nod to the curfew review by the proposed truck curfew review committee, bringing together Maribyrnong councillors, VicRoads, transport groups, Victoria Police, EPA, Maribyrnong Truck Action Group and the Port of Melbourne Corporation.
The committee will examine the curfew’s overall effectiveness, compliance and enforcement, existing times and locations and their impacts on the freight industry.
A report on its findings and recommendations will be presented to Maribyrnong Council in December.
MTAG president Peter Knight said the review was a positive development in the fight for safe and healthy residential neighbourhoods.
“One of the major issues we definitely think they should be looking at is the definition of a ‘local truck’ – there needs to be a complete overhaul there,” he said.
Mr Knight said MTAG would be calling for an extension of the truck curfew to Buckley and Moore streets to stop residents “paying with their health and amenity” for freight operators unwilling to pay tolls to use the Bolte Bridge.
Maribyrnong Council is also preparing a report on noise testing to be presented to a council meeting next month.
