Traffic data shows increase in movement during curfew hours in pockets of Melbourne
There has been a spike in traffic in several locked-down suburbs during curfew hours, with new data showing spikes in movement between 2am and 5am.
HS Coronavirus News
Don't miss out on the headlines from HS Coronavirus News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Traffic movements in parts of Melbourne’s coronavirus hot spots have been increasing during curfew hours, creating a new challenge for authorities working to limit its spread.
It comes as Premier Daniel Andrews urged Victorians not to undo the progress they had made after good weather brought crowds of people out to parks and beaches over the weekend.
New data compiled by Real Time Traffic show a substantial drop in car movements since Stage 4 restrictions were introduced, but also found pockets of the city where movement actually increased.
Key routes in Melbourne’s western suburbs, southeastern suburbs and the CBD were among the main areas to record weekly spikes and these regions have led the state for infections.
Vehicle counts also show much of this travel was occurring between 2am to 5am.
Real-Time Traffic’s head of analytics Felicia Velde said overall trips had plummeted once harsher lockdowns were introduced.
But an analysis of 10 of the city’s most important arterials found Footscray Rd, West Melbourne had bucked this trend.
“Traffic volume on Footscray Road has increased by 5 per cent during curfew hours whereas all other routes have consistently shown a decrease of 20 to 40 per cent,” Ms Velde said
She said it was not clear why trips on some streets were on the rise but that low vehicle counts across all suburbs showed Melburnians were largely following movement restrictions.
The company rigorously sorted through all of the data collected to account for technical errors and other factors such as road works.
Newly-released Department of Transport figures also show that between August 17 and 21, weekly vehicle trips rose by at least 3 per cent in every local government area except Melton.
Mobile phone data revealed a slight lift in movement during curfew hours in some areas last weekend, with increases of 3 per cent in Bayside and 2 per cent in Casey.
Public Transport and Roads Minister Ben Carroll said it was good to see most Victorians doing the right thing.
“We all want to get back to doing what we love and we’re almost there,” he said.
“It’s more important than ever that we continue to do the right thing, follow the rules and limit our movements.”
When asked about large crowds of people flocking to St Kilda beach on the weekend, Mr Andrews urged Victorians to stay the course.
“Let’s not make any choices that put at risk all the progress we’ve made and could render all the sacrifice we’ve made meaningless,” he said.
“No day at the beach is worth that.
“I want to get past this so that people can spend as much time as the beach as they want and do it safely.
“Now is not the time for that. these lockdowns are not imposed for fun.
“The aim here is to put the fire out so it doesn't’t flare up again.”
MORE NEWS:
VICTORIA’S WORST LOCKDOWN RULE-BREAKERS
WHY MOKBEL’S BID FOR FREEDOM IS ONE STEP CLOSER