Victorian Opposition promises a 12-month trial on common roads in Heidelberg if it wins the election.
Victorian Labor has promised a truck curfew along Rosanna and Greensborough roads in the northeast Melbourne suburb of Heidelberg.
Heavy vehicles will be banned from the 6.7km stretch between Grimshaw Street and Banksia Street between 10pm and 6am daily if Labor wins the state election on November 29.
Opposition spokesman on roads Luke Donnellan says the 12-month trial will be assessed by VicRoads, which will also consider exemptions for trucks to local destinations on a case-by-case basis.
He says the plan is in response to local concerns about traffic in the area, and will include additional truck curfews in nearby suburbs to prevent problems just shifting to Viewbank, Montmorency or Eltham.
“The Liberals have had four years to address the congestion and noise on Rosanna Road and they’ve done nothing,” Donnellan says.
But the transport industry has accused Labor of jumping the gun on the issue.
The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) says it is surprised it had not been consulted on the plan and that the curfew will be difficult to implement.
“If the plan goes ahead, you’ll get heavy vehicles driving deeper into lower grade suburban roads,” VTA CEO Peter Anderson says.
“None of us want heavy vehicles on the streets we live in, but we need to harmonise the needs of the economy with those social and environmental concerns.”
Anderson adds that the planned extension of the M80 Ring Road from Greensborough to Ringwood will alleviate much of the heavy vehicle traffic through the northeast suburban corridor.
Anderson made contact with Donnellan this afternoon, describing the continuing discussion as “open and honest”.
Labor currently leads the incumbent government in the polls.