RESIDENTS fed up with noisy trucks being driven down their streets at all hours are calling for a late-night curfew.
Sunshine West residents say a spike in truck traffic is creating more problems than ever with extra noise, traffic and damage to roads.
Some claim B-double trucks are using roads they shouldn’t be on.
Learmonth Crescent resident Ian McGregor said there had been a steady increase and a curfew was necessary. “I’m not naive; transporting goods is the lifeblood of this country, but we need to look at the roads that are being used by B-doubles.”
Mr McGregor said the problem was the worst he had seen in 30 years living on the street, with B-doubles sometimes passing every 10 minutes. He singled out trucks turning from Somerville Road into Vella Drive as a major concern. “They have to go onto the wrong side of the road and there’s considerable cracking under the strain. The council is going to have to spend a lot of money to fix that up.”
Derrimut MP Telmo Languiller has raised the matter in State Parliament, calling on Roads Minister Terry Mulder to check if restrictions are being enforced around Fairbairn, Somerville and Glengala roads, Vella Drive and Grace Court.
“Complaints about noise, pollution and road safety caused by truck patronage on local roads are continually brought to my office by concerned residents of Sunshine West,” he said.
Mr Languiller wants truck curfews on the Yarraville stretch of Somerville Road to apply at the Sunshine West end, and for VicRoads to investigate allegations B-double trucks are using non-approved parts of Fairbairn and Glengala roads. “Restrictions are in place for the safety of the community and if large trucks and companies are not complying they should be identified and prosecuted,” he said.
Western Metropolitan Greens MP Colleen Hartland said the government must allocate funding for a truck action plan and increase rail freight. “More than 21,000 trucks rumble through the streets of the inner west every single day, but the freight numbers are set to double by 2020 and double again by 2050.
“The government is simply ignoring this growing problem and the community are sick of it.”
