Truck curfews in Victoria will come under further scrutiny with the Andrews Government announcing a heavy vehicle monitoring camera trial.
The trials will take place in Melbourne’s inner west as the State Government seeks to clarify existing truck curfews and restrictions with industry, community and local government ahead of the opening of the West Gate Tunnel.
Video analytics technology from the Department of Transport (DoT) will be applied to capture heavy vehicle compliance data and detect, identify, categorise, and report on different heavy vehicle types on Somerville Road.
“The outcomes would help determine the roll-out of the technology on other key routes in the inner west to ensure the ongoing safety and amenity for the community,” the Government said in a statement.
In collaboration with Maribyrnong City Council, DoT is also installing truck advisory signs.
These signs will make restriction messages clearer, warning truck drivers that A-double and B-double combinations are not permitted on specific sections of Somerville Road, Yarraville.
“Initiatives such as the heavy vehicle monitoring cameras and our guide developed to educate truck drivers about where and when they can travel will improve safety for inner west residents and provide further clarity for industry,” Minister for Roads and Road Safety Ben Carroll.
“We’re working with community, local government and the NHVR to instal additional truck advisory signs on key routes to make restrictions and messaging clearer for everyone,” he said.
DoT has also developed a guide published in six different languages to help inform truck drivers about where and when they can travel and to help industry better plan their journeys to port.
The inner west’s proximity to the Port of Melbourne and the high number of warehousing and logistics businesses in the area generates a large volume of heavy truck traffic.
The measures are a result of collaboration between local residents, industry, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and local government to ensure the needs of the community and the long-term viability of the freight task and transport network are balanced.
These actions will assist DoT to continue to develop a monitoring and compliance response strategy for key inner west routes subject to truck bans when the West Gate Tunnel opens.
When open, the West Gate Tunnel will take 9000 trucks off roads in the inner west and allow for the introduction of 24-hour truck bans on six local roads including Blackshaws Road, Hudsons Road, Francis Street, Somerville Road, Buckley Street and Moore Street.
Truck curfews are monitored by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and Victoria Police to support compliance and enforce penalties for non-compliance.
“The transport challenges in this growing and rapidly changing area are complex and require an integrated response across government to ensure the safety and amenity of this vibrant community,” said Minister for Ports and Freight Melissa Horne
“This means creating more direct freight connections, shifting more freight to rail, and streamlining access to the port to meet our growing freight task,” she said.