Push for permanent change to Melbourne truck curfews, with rule changes set to expire on September 21

While a curfew was enforced across Melbourne, a trucking curfew was lifted. Now there are calls for the night-time trucking ban to be extended in an effort to boost the state’s economy.

Victoria’s peak body for the trucking industry is calling on the Andrews Government to waive night-time curfews on residential streets in an effort to boost the state’s economy.

Tough curfews imposed on the movements of big rigs around Melbourne have been temporarily halted during Stage 3 and 4 lockdowns while many Victorians have remained at home.

The exemptions, made to the state’s road safety laws, are set to expire on September 21.

But the Victorian Transport Association wants these changes to be made more permanent for trucks involved in waste collection along with those used for supermarkets, fuel, manufacturing, construction and home deliveries.

The bold proposal is likely to be met with opposition from community groups in suburban parts of the city, particularly the inner-west where streets are busy with truck movements heading in and out of the Port of Melbourne.

Trucks line up to get onto the Westgate freeway on Williamstown rd in Yarraville Picture: David Crosling

But VTA chief executive Peter Anderson said curfew exemptions would ensure struggling stores remained stocked up on groceries and other important goods.

“It is essential our industry can make deliveries to supermarkets, pharmacies and essential retailers, and support businesses and the economy as they start to re-open,” he said.

“As an essential service the transport, freight and logistics industry had been operating on a ‘green’ light since COVID restrictions were enacted in March.

“We need our customers to get back to work as quickly as possible and we will be there

to support their logistics needs.”

Mr Anderson said the industry had already proven it could operate safely

“The freight transport industry is moving around the community on a regular basis every day, has had very few COVID cases, and has not been a mode of spreading the virus,” he said.

Its understood the government is debating its next steps for reintroducing truck curfews and may consider an extension of the current rules, which allow heavy vehicles to move more freely, until later in the year.

“We lifted truck curfew restrictions for supermarkets and pharmacies to make it easier for Victorians to get the essential household goods and food they need,” a government spokesman said.

“We’re working with local governments and the industry to explore options for keeping essential goods moving, particularly leading up to the busy Christmas period.”

In 2019, the VTA partnered with the Andrews Government and inner-west community groups on the Cleaner Freight Initiative, a scheme aimed at cutting down the number old dirty trucks around the Port of Melbourne with new truck speeds and curfew rules.

But this plan was abandoned in January this year after groups involved in the project were unable to reach a final agreement.

Residents’ hoping to cut down on heavy vehicles in Yarraville and Brooklyn were told night curfews on key streets were not possible because they would push traffic to other areas.