VTA to hold talks with Transport Minister Terry Mulder to voice its opposition to truck bans on Melbourne freeways
By Ruza Zivkusic | March 31, 2011
The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) will this month meet with the state’s Transport Minister, Terry Mulder, to voice its opposition to truck bans on Melbourne freeways.
VTA CEO Philip Lovel says the association is preparing an agenda to give to Mulder at the meeting, which the minister initiated.
It will include issues such as the freight infrastructure charge, road safety, high productivity vehicles and the right-hand lane restrictions on trucks.
“We don’t think it’s been successful banning trucks on the right hand lane, it’s creating more hazards than what it’s solving,” Lovel says.
“I went down Geelong Road last Tuesday and all of the trucks are tailgating cars because they’re going at a consistent speed. You’ve got the drivers speeding down when they see a camera under bridges and they speed up again and the trucks have nowhere to go other than pass on the left.
“The jury is still out on whether it’s being effective and we don’t think it is.”
Lovel says he is looking forward to the meeting as he believes Mulder interested in transport issues.