Transport minister says he will consider rolling out 90km/h speed limit on trucks if 12-month trial involving HPVs is successful
By Brad Gardner | May 22, 2013
Trucks travelling on Victorian roads may be limited to 90km/h if a trial of the speed restriction on high productivity vehicles is successful.
Victorian Roads Minister Terry Mulder says the result of the year-long trial will decide the State Government’s approach, but he has already expressed enthusiasm for the initiative.
Appearing before the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee, Mulder told members the 90km/h limit was better for road safety and that industry feedback indicated the fuel savings from travelling slower offset the extra time taken to reach a destination.
Victoria recently announced more of the road network would be opened up to 36.5 metre B-triples and 30 metre B-doubles in return for operators limiting the trucks to 90km/h, enrolling in the Intelligent Access Program (IAP) and gaining Performance Based Standards (PBS) certification.
“If this particular trial demonstrates that we get better outcomes in terms of tailgating and a better safety outcome on the roads, then we would have to consider rolling it out even more broadly,” Mulder says.
VicRoads is responsible for assessing the outcome of the trial.
“I am going to be very interested to get the results of that particular trial because we have a lot of heavy vehicle operators at the moment who already limit their vehicles to 90km/h,” Mulder says.
He also used his appearance before the committee to spruik high productivity vehicles as a safe and productive option to move freight.
B-triples with a gross mass of 68.5 tonnes will have access to duplicated routes in regional areas, including sections of the Princes Highway and the Western, Calder and Hume freeways.
The Government will limit metropolitan access to 30 metre B-doubles carrying a gross mass of 68.5 tonnes. Mulder says the rigs will be allowed on the Monash, West Gate, Tullamarine, Calder, Hume and Princes freeways, CityLink and EastLink.
“B-triples have been running between Geelong and Broadmeadows under permit for over a decade now, operating successfully with little fuss, carrying vehicle components between Ford’s two Victorian plants,” he says.
“Elsewhere in Victoria 30-metre long B-doubles have been operating in the Green Triangle carting woodchips to the Port of Portland since 2010, connecting rail and road depots near and around Horsham and transporting mineral sands to Ouyen and Hopetoun, where they are moved by rail.”
