The Victorian Government is partnering with the freight industry and Transurban on a new trial to take livestock trucks off city streets, making travel simpler and safer for drivers, pedestrians and livestock.
The 12-month trial will begin early next year, permitting livestock trucks to use Melbourne’s Burnley and Domain tunnels which will help to take up to 600 trucks off city streets each week.
According to Victorian Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Melissa Horne, it will mean large livestock trucks will no longer have to rely on travelling busy city streets including City Road, Power Street, Olympic Boulevard and Hoddle Street.
“This trial is a win-win for our city and our freight industry,” she said.
“By taking livestock trucks off inner-city streets and into the tunnels, we’re improving road safety while also keeping our freight sector moving.”
Livestock trucks were previously banned from the tunnels due to low-clearance infrastructure, but recent upgrades which raised the overhead infrastructure to a safe height has since enabled these trucks to pass through without posing risks to the animals.
Victorian Minister for Agriculture, Ros Spence, stressed the importance of the animals’ wellbeing during these transports.
“The welfare of livestock – whether on farm or in transit – is important to all Victorians, transporting livestock in the most direct and safest route will improve their wellbeing and safety,” she said.
To support the trial, additional signage and road markings will be added on arterial roads, helping livestock truck drivers navigate the busy city freeways more easily.
This builds on the State Government’s track record of getting trucks off local roads, including a $10.2 million investment in camera technology to enforce 24/7 truck bans in the inner west and a lease with the Port of Melbourne that will reduce truck trips to and from the Port.
The freight and logistics sector contributes $21 billion to Victoria’s economy and employs roughly 260,000 Victorians, with freight volumes predicted to increase from around 360 million tonnes in 2014 to nearly 900 million tonnes in 2051.
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