VTA says Melbourne ban will have minimal impact on non-exempted drivers
Beach Road in Melbourne’s bayside region will have a 24/7 truck curfew imposed between Port Melbourne and Mordialloc, effective February 25.
Since 201,7 there have been a range of truck curfew times trialled between Bay Street in Port Melbourne and Nepean Highway in Mordialloc, a route that has been a long-term political battleground between activists, cyclists, lobby groups and the freight industry.
The government says the 24/7 restrictions have now been implemented following strong community support and “will ease congestion on local roads and improve traffic flow for both truck drivers and the local community, [and] it will also make our valuable beach side communities more accessible and safe”.
Only trucks making local deliveries, loading or unloading goods, or with no other route will be exempt from the ban, as will other vehicles such as buses, caravans, cranes or concrete pumps.
“VicRoads will be collecting data to better understand how trucks use the Nepean Highway to better plan and manage the freight network,” a government statement says.
“Data collected throughout the restriction will help to inform future changes to the road infrastructure and optimisation of traffic signals to improve movement around the Victorian freight network.”
Victorian roads minister Jaala Pulford states that the government has worked with the truck industry and community to find the best way to balance the needs of freight and other commuters on the road network.
“By introducing truck bans on Beach Road, we’ll improve the flow of traffic and reduce congestion,” Pulford says
“We’re leaving local roads for cars and moving freight onto freight routes, which will improve traffic flow and increase safety for the hundreds of visitors to the area as well as the local community.”
This ban follows a permanent right-hand lane ban for trucks along certain sections of the Monash Freeway in 2018.
The VTA said that in this particular case it appreciates the Victorian government’s engagement and the time it has taken talking to industry to understand the needs of operators working in the bayside area.
“While we remain generally opposed to heavy vehicle bans and curfews on heavy vehicles, with respect to Beach Road we expect minimal impact on non-exempted drivers because previous traffic studies confirmed very limited use of it by drivers travelling through the area anyway,” VTA CEO Peter Anderson says.
“Consistent with our view that big trucks should be on big roads, we look forward to working with state and local governments on improvements to the Nepean Highway that will make it even better suited to freight movements.”