VicRoads undertakes planning work to extend a truck ban already in place on two of Melbourne's freeways
By Ruza Zivkusic February 11, 2011
VicRoads is looking at extending a truck ban already in place on two of Melbourne’s freeways to other parts of the road network.
Trucks are currently banned from using the right-hand lane of the Eastern Freeway between Springvale Road and Hoddle Street and the Princes Freeway between Kororoit Creek and Avalon Road.
VicRoads’ vehicle management and safety director Don Hogben says the department is undertaking planning work to apply the ban to the Monash Freeway.
Hogben says the Monash is a critical component of Melbourne’s transport system and that any proposed changes to traffic flow will require careful consideration.
“A decision on implementation is yet to be made,” he says.
“Data is being gathered and evaluated from industry representatives, users and on-road sources to evaluate the implementation of truck lane restrictions on these two freeways.”
RACV, which ran a campaign to ban trucks from right-hand lanes, is confident the ban will go ahead.
“The previous implementation that we have seen in Melbourne has been relatively successful and we’ve had a number of calls from truck drivers, professional drivers and motorists who say it’s working reasonably well,” RACV acting general manager for public policy, Peter Daly, says.
But the motorists’ behaviour, such as cutting in front of trucks, still needs to be addressed, Daly says.
“RACV has always said that motorists need to be more aware of how to drive in front of heavy vehicles.
“Sometimes they may do silly thinks like cutting in front at traffic lights rather than understanding that heavy vehicles need more room to move and that’s something that we constantly talk to our members about.”
He says the new Victorian government is aware of RACV’s stand on issues and believes more needs to be done to link the freeway network.
“We would like access to the Melbourne Port improved and the Metropolitan Ring Road connected to the north of East Link,” Daly says.
“We would hope that they quickly move ahead with a number of projects because they are necessary to Melbourne’s liveability.”