A City of Melbourne plan to bust CBD traffic snarls has the Andrews Government worried

The City of Melbourne and the Andrews Government are on a collision course over a council plan to deal with traffic snarls in the CBD. What has the government worried?

Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan says the government is worried about a City of Melbourne plan to reduce CBD congestion. Picture: Alex Coppel.

A City of Melbourne plan to keep more cars out of the CBD has put the council at loggerheads with the Andrews Government.

Possible measures such as introducing a 30kmh limit in the inner city, closing lanes to traffic and pushing for a user-pays congestion tax have been flagged for a transport strategy to be released soon.

However, Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan signalled the government was worried.

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“While Melbourne City Council is free to pursue these ideas, we have concerns given the current levels of disruption thanks to landmark projects such as the Metro Tunnel,” she told the Sunday Herald Sun.

“We’ve already got significant pressure on Melbourne’s CBD with road closures and narrowings as part of the Metro Tunnel works, and we don’t want to make things worse for road users.

“The best way to get cars out of the city is to build the world’s best transport system, and that’s exactly what we are doing.”

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Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the council had been consulting with key stakeholders, including the state government.

“We are well aware of the need to ensure a co-ordinated approach when it comes to how we manage changes that impact road and footpath users, particularly in the context of works occurring due to projects like the Metro Tunnel,” she said.

“Through our consultation and discussion paper phase, we’ve looked at a range of ways to improve transport modes.

“This includes improving pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, and looking at how we can encourage vehicles to come into the city only if it’s their end destination.”

A previously released discussion paper canvassed higher fees for on-street parking in busy times, widening footpaths, removing some vehicle lanes and restrictions on the Hoddle Grid.

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